PMD: Destined Explorers of Legend
by Cottonmouth25
Summary: Natural disasters are battering the world, sending the Factions into panic. The Legendaries are nowhere to be seen, and the Guardians are doing their best to help Pokemon in need. But what is behind this chaos? What could possibly be conspiring in this world of turmoil? Come to the world of Pokemon and find out! First in a PMD trilogy. Rated T for violence and romance.
1. Prologue

**Greetings, and many great hellos! This is the gate that leads into the world of Pokemon!**

**Nah, just pulling your wings (if you have any, that is)! This is the start of my newest fanfiction, featuring grand adventures, mysterious treasures, a plot to destroy the world (maybe), and brand new species of Pokemon!**

**Now, as usual, I have a few things to say before we start our adventure…**

**One, this fanfic was heavily inspired by Coli Chibi's "Explorers of Prehistory", so thank you for that!**

**Second, I do not own Pokemon. Damnit.**

**Third… ah, I'll tell you later! For now, hold onto your seats as we go for a wild ride into the world of Pokemon!**

-.-.-.-.-.

The sun was rising slowly into the still morning air, casting its light upon the valley.

A mist was rising over the forest, and nary a breeze stirred the leaves on the trees.

Nothing moved, nothing made a sound.

All was perfect.

Until, that is, two shadowy figures flashed across the tops of the trees, causing a sharp wind to rustle the branches just beneath them. Anyone who would have glared up at them, annoyed for causing such a sudden ruckus, would have seen three similar figures chasing them.

Said figures let out shrill caws that split the peaceful morning. The two fleeing Pokemon increased the strength and speed of their flaps, trying not to let themselves be caught. But the hostiles behind them were gaining quickly.

"Faster, Elf, faster!" yelled the larger one. "We have to escape! We have to tell the Guardians!" He flapped harder, wings barely making a sound as he did so. The little one was left tumbling in his wake as she tried to keep up.

"Barn!" she squeaked as a sudden gust of wind smacked her back a few feet. "My wings are tired! I have to rest!" Barn shook his feathery head frantically as he stroked harder than ever, trying not to feel the strain in his wings. "We can keep flying – or we can rest, and be caught by _them_!"

He jerked his head quickly behind him, indicating their pursuers. A furious Honchkrow streaked after them, flanked by two fearsome-looking Pidgeotto. The Honchkrow cawed again, her voice harsh and loud, breaking the silent morning like thin ice. Her Pidgeotto lackeys kept pace with her, just as eager to tear the fleeing pair apart.

Barn and Elf managed to keep away from them, but it wasn't easy. Being a pair of owl Pokemon – Noctowl and Hoothoot, respectively – their eyes weren't as accustomed to seeing in daylight as their pursuers' were. And now, they were flying into the rising sun, already squinting in order to block out as much light as possible.

But it seemed that despite her size and her preoccupation with the wind, the little Hoothoot was thinking ahead. "Quick, Barn!" she trilled. "Into the trees! We can lose them there!"

Barn nodded and followed his friend down below the treeline. Not only was it darker down here, but their wings were more accustomed to flying in forests than out in the open. Not to mention that the combination of obscuring leaves and branches as well as their silent wingbeats would serve them well in evading the enemy and avoiding detection.

Almost instantly, Barn's sharp ears picked up the thunderous flaps of the three bird Pokemon behind them, punctuated by the harsh sounds of branches breaking and leaves rustling. His hearing was so great that he could even hear the air rushing through their feathers.

And then he heard another sound, a voice that crashed in his sensitive ears. "Faster, you idiots!" the Honchkrow screeched in anger. "We can't let those fledglings escape!" The Pidgeottoes replied in their low growls as they tore through the forest alongside her.

Barn quickly ducked under a branch, only to swerve upwards to avoid another. Elf seemed to find a new energy within her, weaving through the branches like a flying Bug Pokemon and suddenly passing him. He redoubled his efforts, following the minute Hoothoot as they flew wildly through the ever-thickening forest.

But despite their foes' obvious deficiencies, Barn suddenly caught sight of them crash through that last tree and into his sightline. He gave a hoot of fear as the adrenalin coursed through him. "Get back here!" the leader cawed again. "Maybe if you surrender we will spare your lives!"

_Dream on, you addle-brained, idiotic excuse for a Flying-type!_ The words roared in Barn's head as he suddenly stopped and clutched at a stray branch. Pulling the branch back in his talons, he waited for the trio to get in range, and then released the branch, sending it snapping forward.

The Honchkrow was struck, smack-dab in the beak. She howled in pain and was smacked backwards, plowing into the Pidgeotto and causing them all to spiral out of control. Barn heard the muffled *thud* as they hit the ground, probably painfully. And then he heard no more from them.

Nevertheless, he flew on, leading Elf on a winding path in case they resumed the chase again. A minute flew by (pardon the pun) without any sign of the Honchkrow or her lackeys, and Barn knew in his heart that they could finally rest and relax.

A huge sycamore tree was coming up ahead. Circling the trunk, they found a good-sized hollow on the shadowy side, and immediately flew into it. "This will make a good hiding place until we can fly again," panted Elf, collapsing onto the wooden floor.

Barn was indeed tired as well, but they needed this time to think. The valley had no towns or villages anywhere – it was a wild place, inhabited only by wild Pokemon, appropriately. But these two young Flying-types, who had barely left their nests and knew only the ways of the forest, had to fly out of their safe, cozy valley and into the wide world beyond.

"Where do you think we should go?" Elf asked worriedly, breaths growing slower and shallower as her fatigue gradually faded. "Your family has books, what do you know about the world outside our valley?"

The Noctowl's brow creased and his head rotated slowly as he thought. It seemed to help him make hard decisions and figure out escape plans when his head was moving.

"I've heard that, on the west side of the valley, over those mountains, is a coast. And on that coast is a town. We can go there and try to find out about the Guardians and where to go to find them," he explained, a tad uncertainly.

Elf flinched. "A town?" she repeated incredulously. "We're wild Pokemon! We don't belong in a town, we belong where there are trees and grass and little rodent Pokemon to hunt!"

Barn shrugged his feathery shoulders. "I didn't say we were staying," he told his friend. "And it's the best place to find out about the Guardians." He desperately wanted to convince Elf to go with him and warn the Guardians about the evil that was hidden away in this valley. But would such Pokemon, rumored to be so noble and civilized, be willing to stop the evil?

"It's really quiet out there," Elf remarked, sticking her head – or what looked like her head, it was hard to tell – out of the small hollow. "You think they've given up?" she asked. Barn shrugged again, tilting his head until his feathery tufts were touching his chest. "If we head over the west mountains, we'll bypass their fort entirely," he said decisively, flipping his head back up. "Come on, Elf, we can make it before noon if we fly now."

The little Hoothoot nodded, hopping up to the edge of the hollow. She spread her tiny wings and flapped furiously in a takeoff.

Barn followed a minute later. Squeezing through the hollow's entrance, he spread his wings and lifted into flight without making a sound. To any onlooker, it would have seemed that he had just melted out from the tree and flown off like a Ghost Pokemon.

The two friends headed for the western mountains, looking to exit the valley – the peaceful, tranquil valley that they had lived in all their lives, but would be destroyed if the Guardians were not warned.

-.-.-.-.-.

**This is just the prologue, so sorry if you were expecting a longer chapter.**

**But there are many questions to be asked! Who are Barn and Elf, and from what did they escape? Why does the Honchkrow want to get her claws on them? And who are the Guardians, and where are they?**

**Those are questions for another time ('cause I'm still trying to figure out the answers). Right now…**

**…I need you to help me! I need OCs for this fanfic! What, you thought I'd be doing all the work? Not this time!**

**What is the name, gender, species, personality (optional), past (optional), or whatever accessories they wear (optional)? Give me your ideas, and I'll be sure to thank you for them!**

**(Note: I will be accepting Legendary Pokemon as OCs, but only the shrimpy ones like Jirachi and Celebi. Darkrai's good too, I guess, but that's it. However, heed this warning – if I get more than one request for a certain Legendary, only one will actually get said Legendary, and the other(s) will have their species switched. So it's wise to have a back-up plan.)**

**This fanfic isn't going anywhere until I get at least a few more ideas, so give me some characters to use!**

**See you!**


	2. Welcome to Seaside Village

**OK, if I'm posting this chapter, that must mean I have enough characters to go on for now! Remember, the offer for OC submission is still wide open, so feel free to swamp me with character ideas.**

**For now, though, read on!**

**Ins4ne Gam3r: You hit the nail smack-dab on the head! I indeed got it from Guardians of Ga'Hoole.**

-.-.-.-.-.

Seaside Village – well, it wasn't a village per se, it was more of a town. A bustling port town, that is, situated along the coast as it was. Despite the proximity to the open, salty ocean, it was inhabited by all kinds of Pokemon, not just Water-types.

Why it was called a village, no one really knew. The most popular theory was that it was called such when it was first founded as a community, and when it grew, the name stayed behind. No one minded, though, that they were calling their small town a _village_.

The more popular shops were located near the market square, where Pokemon of all kinds wandered about buying, bartering, and haggling over the price of a fresh Magikarp or a de-shelled Shellder. In the center was a statue of Seaside Village's chosen Legendary – Lugia.

This place was part of the Water Faction, and each faction had a Legendary Pokemon to lead them. Thus, in times of trouble, the people of the afflicted faction would plead for the help of their Legendary guardian, and their prayers would be answered. However, times were tough these days, with natural disasters striking almost at their own will, and the Legendaries weren't answering their Factions' cries for help. Were they asleep? Imprisoned? Or did they just not care?

Anyways, the market square was always busy and full of chatter. One Pokemon, however, who disliked the noise, walked straight past the market square and towards the shops on the other end of the town. The shop he was aiming for wasn't one of the most popular, but he liked its inhabitants very much and always made time during his visits to Seaside Village to visit and maybe buy a trinket or two.

This particular shop was relatively new, having only been here for a few months. It looked just like all other Pokemon-made shops – a small, round building with a gap on one end, blocked off by a large counter, and several little "pouches" branching off the main body of the shop. These pouches were mainly for storage, although the shop was so small that the entire thing was pretty much one big warehouse.

Within the shop – it was called "Team Fossil's Sunken Treasures" – the three Pokemon that ran it were in as cheery a mood as ever. There was the diver, Tortuga the Tirtouga, who dove into the ocean in search for treasures to sell. There was the manager, Wyvern the Archeops, and finally his little brother Pteryx. The three were prehistoric Pokemon – lost relics from a world trapped in the past, relics that have, along with the rest of their species, only found their way into the modern world relatively recently. As a result, hardly anyone liked them or enjoyed their company, seeing them as freaks or monsters that shouldn't exist.

Of course, they were far from monsters. Wyvern was as nice as any Pokemon could be, full of cheer and witty jokes. Pteryx was energetic and very friendly, so much that it was hard not to like him if you got to know him. Tortuga was easy-going and mellow, not letting anything bother him whatsoever. They were a great team, and together they made up Team Fossil.

"Pteryx!" Wyvern called in his smooth voice. "Ya get that latest batch of dried coral from Tortuga yet?" From one of the storage pockets, there came a cheery, squawky voice, so unlike Wyvern's. "Yeah, I got 'em! Whaddaya want with 'em, brother?"

"Put them in the display case with the rest of 'em, if ya please! You know the one!" the Archeops called back, grinning despite himself. His brother's voice could uplift any spirit – it was just so jaunty and full of good will.

Unfortunately, the little Archen himself was a bit more of a pain. He came running on his stubby little legs with the box of coral pieces held in his claws, only to trip over a stray tool and tumble to the ground with a loud shriek. Most of the coral fell out of the box, shattering into fragile little pieces.

Wyvern facepalmed and stepped to the back of the shop, where Pteryx was picking himself up. "Here, let me help ya clean this up," he sighed, exasperated at his brother's clumsiness. But Pteryx hissed indignantly and swatted his claw away. "No! I can do it, ya scurvy scallywag! Ya think this here joint cleans itself up?" he squawked, adjusting the black bandana on his head and already picking up the coral.

"Hey, this ain't so bad," he remarked as he examined the dead colony. "We could still sell these, Wyvern. Maybe at half price." Leave it to Pteryx to find the good in everything. Wyvern smiled and nodded his approval. "Smashing," he said, then chuckled at his pun.

A grin split Pteryx's beaky face in two as he replied, "Nice one, boss! I _sea_ what ya did there!" The two of them laughed again, then calmed down. "Get those pieces into the display case, then," the Archeops instructed, and Pteryx hopped to it with a salute. "Aye aye, cap'n!"

Suddenly, the both of them froze at the sound of the little bell dangling from the entrance jingling. They both turned to see their best customer with his hand grasping the string, grinning at them from the other side of the counter. "Heya, guys!" he squealed, grabbing the bell and swinging from it – upside down.

"Arrrr-chen!" Pteryx cawed. "It's Luke! How ya doin', lad?" The little Victini giggled and backflipped off his swing, landing on his feet on top of the counter and striking a victory pose. "I'm doing great! Greater than great! I'm doing spectacular!"

Wyvern chuckled. "Nice to see ya again, Luke. Tell me, what can we help you with?" Luke ran up the side of the wall before kicking off and doing another backflip. "I wanted to see how you guys are doing! You always look so lonely if I don't come and visit!"

Just then, a blue-and-grey Pokemon crawled into view. "Hey, partners," he said with a lazy smile. "Found some more stuff down by the bay. Some really pretty" – Tortuga was suddenly cut off by Luke, who had hopped down from the counter and into the shop.

"What's that, Tortuga? What's that?" he asked excitedly, running circles around the poor Prototurtle Pokemon, who looked flustered. Luke grabbed the basket he had perched on his shell, holding it above his head victoriously.

"Luke, ya irresponsible barnacle! Give that back ta Tortuga or I'll skin ya 'live!" Pteryx squawked angrily as he dashed after the Victini. Luke giggled hysterically as he floated around the shop, teasing the flightless Flying-type by hovering just out of reach.

Sighing, Wyvern stepped over Tortuga and plucked Luke out of the air. "We don't want a repeat of the Bubble Incident, buddy-boy," he chuckled, and Tortuga and Pteryx both winced at the painful memory. Luke blushed madly and hastily set the basket down on Tortuga's shell again.

"Thanks," Tortuga said simply, crawling off to one of the storage rooms.

A Shiny Stone in a display case caught Luke's eye, and he ran off to admire it. But before he could say anything, a scream split the air! Everyone in the shop ran to the entrance (or in Tortuga's case, shuffled) in order to possibly get a look at what was going on.

An adult Gardevoir was running towards the shop, tears streaming from her eyes and calling for help. Pteryx squawked in alarm and vaulted over the counter. Wyvern jumped over as well and ran to help the Psychic-type, who collapsed on the ground in fear and exhaustion.

"Whatsa matter, ma'am?" Pteryx asked worriedly, and the Gardevoir stood up shakily with his help. Luke floated over to her level and handed her a tissue. She blew her nose and subsequently began to cry.

Wyvern's voice was no longer jaunty. Instead, it was hushed and serious. "Tell us what happened. Maybe we can help."

The Gardevoir nodded frantically, hope and fear clashing in her eyes. "Two bullies grabbed my daughter!" she wailed, burying her face in her hands. Wyvern's eyes flashed dangerously. "Where can we find them?" She pointed wordlessly toward the town square.

"Awright! Let's show them bullies not ta mess around with little kids!" Pteryx said angrily, and dashed off, followed by Wyvern and (cautiously) Luke.

Just as they left, Tortuga appeared from around the back of the shop. "Guys?" he called. "Wait for me, please!" But they paid him absolutely no heed. There was a rescue to be made.

-.-.-.-.-.

Seaside Village's square was packed. But not with busy Pokemon going about their day – no, it was filled with Pokemon fearfully watching on the sidelines, too scared to do anything as two big Pokemon beat up a little one.

The teenaged Kirlia went flying from another blow, but didn't scream. Instead, she got up shakily and glared at her two foes. One, a Krokorok with an eye patch and a missing tooth, was amused. The other, a battle-scarred, cloaked Fearow, was not.

"The silent type, eh?" the big bird growled, not easy for a bird Pokemon to do. "Well, if you can't talk, I'll bet you can scream." He sent the Kirlia flying again with a blow from his wing, then added with a sadistic grin, "and what sweet music that would be, even if it's too short a tune."

The Krokorok picked her up by the neck and held her up for the Fearow. "Now, for the last time, give us the Shard! I know you have it!"

Wincing from the Desert Croc Pokemon's claws digging into her skin, the Kirlia defiantly hurled a Focus Blast at the Fearow, which was smartly dodged. "That does it," he hissed, readying his beak to strike a fatal blow.

"Wing Attack!"

Something small and feathery launched itself at the Fearow, slamming its glowing arm into his chest with a wheeze. Winded, the bird picked himself up and dusted off his feathers. A small Archen glared back at him. "Whaddaya think yer doin', ya big lug?" he squawked. "Gangin' up on a little one ain't smart!"

From the Krokorok's claws, the Kirlia watched him silently. _Who is this?_ she wondered.

Pteryx, for of course it was he, found himself being backed up by a stoic Wyvern and a terrified Luke. "Y-Yeah!" the Victini stammered, holding up his fists. "You're g-gonna have to g-go through us f-first!"

The Fearow would have laughed if he hadn't been so insulted. His beak twisted in a snarl as he instinctively moved to silence the impudent child. But Wyvern got in his way, the Archeops standing at least a foot taller than him.

"Clawface," he said calmly, readying for battle. "I never thought you'd have the nerve showing your beak in Seaside Village. The Guardians have a hefty bounty on your ugly head."

The Fearow, indeed the infamous murderer known as Clawface, bowed sarcastically. "Brilliant deduction, O Wise One," he sneered. "Why don't you take your preaching to someone who actually gives a Wingull's splat?"

Wyvern's frown deepened. "Tell me, what could a bloodthirsty killer get out of kicking around a little girl like this?" he asked, pointing a claw at the still-helpless Kirlia. "Why don't you leave the bullying to the wannabes and get your feathered rear outta here?"

Pteryx chimed in, "He's a murderer, ya say? Here I thought we'd only be drivin' off higher forms of life!" The Krokorok bellowed with laugher. "Ooh, the little songbird's got fangs!" he rasped. "I'm gonna have to see about pullin' them out one by one!"

The Archen didn't take kindly to being called a "songbird". "Shuddap, Rudy! Let's see what'll happen to ya when I pluck out yer other eye!"

In turn, Rudy didn't like being threatened by a Pokemon three times smaller than he was. "I'll show you! Brick Break!" He lunged, dropping the Kirlia as he prepared to strike.

Pteryx dodged and cried, "Wing Attack!" He spun twice to build momentum, then crashed his arm into Rudy's stomach, winding him.

"Let me show you how a real attack is done," Clawface said disdainfully to his fallen partner. "Aerial Ace!" He shot forward at Pteryx, surrounded by streaks of white energy, almost too fast to be seen.

"Dragon Tail!" Wyvern yelled, whipping his tail out of nowhere and swatting Clawface away. But Rudy got back up and rushed back into the battle, hitting Wyvern with a powerful Brick Break.

Pteryx was incensed at seeing his big brother being pushed around. "Take this, croc! Dragonbreath!" He spat a pinkish blast of energy at Rudy, which he dodged. The energy hit the ground behind him and exploded violently, causing the watching crowd to back up a few meters.

"Drill Peck!" Clawface shrieked. "Brick Break!" Rudy roared. Their two attacks came in unison. Pteryx avoided Clawface's spinning beak by the skin of his teeth and instantly whirled around to face him once more. "Rock Throw!" he cawed, conjuring a big rock out of nowhere and hurling it at the Fearow.

The rock smashed into Clawface's midsection and sent him into a building. Momentarily stunned, he slumped to the ground and fought to stay conscious. Wyvern met Rudy's Brick Break with a Dragon Tail attack, and the attacks canceled each other out.

Clawface got up shakily and joined the battle again against the two Fossil Pokemon, with Luke scurrying off to hide as soon as the bad guys came close.

The Fearow's good eye gleamed with hatred – his right eye had been scarred long ago to the point of blindness. But that didn't stop him from being an efficient and well-known murderer.

With a screech, he lunged once more at Team Fossil, going for the kill.

-.-.-.-.-.

As the battle grew more intense, Gaby the Kirlia picked herself up. She wasn't noticed by anyone, as all eyes were riveted on the fight. Spitting out blood, she noticed with a stab of pity the Victini hiding behind a building, looking frightened out of his wits.

_I should help him – I mean, them,_ she thought, _but I can't risk it. I'm too damaged to get into a fight, and the Shard could get lost, or worse. No, I have to get back to Mother._

After another moment of careful observation, Gaby fled into a gap in the crowd and was instantly gone, leaving Pteryx and Wyvern to fight the bullies alone.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Wyvern belongs to Transmorphic Wyvern. Luke belongs to Victory Fire. Gaby belongs to Ins4ne Gam3r. Clawface belongs to Megadracosaurus. Pteryx, Rudy, and Tortuga belong to me.**

**Sorry if I didn't get their personalities ****_exactly_**** right – it's a challenge to do so.**

**Send me some more characters! Name, species, gender, personality (optional), past (optional), and clothes/accessories (optional) are needed!**

**And what about couples? Would you like to see one of the characters pair up with another?**

**Pteryx: "This story ain't goin' nowhere without reviews an' more OCs! So hop to it, ya lazy landlubbers!"**


	3. Sending Bad Guys Running!

**In this chapter, we get to see the conclusion of the fight between Team Fossil + Luke and the villains Clawface and Rudy.**

**I'm still accepting OCs! Give me all you've got, readers! See the first chapter for the nitty-gritty details!**

-.-.-.-.-.

Luke was terrified. Yes, he was easily frightened. Yes, he had been abandoned by his parents at a very young age and thus had a lot to be scared of. But never had he seen anything so horrifying.

His best friends in all the world, Wyvern and Pteryx, were locked in a brutal duel with two bad Pokemon, one of which wasn't hiding the fact that he was an infamous murderer. Luke trembled and cowered in his hiding place as Clawface's Drill Peck narrowly missed Wyvern's chest.

Pteryx noticed the near miss and momentarily ignored Rudy the Krokorok. "Dragonbreath!" he screamed, sending a pulse of pink energy at the Fearow. It struck him in the face, sending him sprawling.

"How do ya like that, Scarface?" the Archen taunted. Clawface's eyes flashed with murderous anger at the insult. "Don't call me that!" he screeched, running at Pteryx in a maddened frenzy.

But Wyvern was quick to defend his little brother. "Rock Slide!" he cried, summoning a portal above "Scarface" and Rudy. Massive boulders slid down from inside the portal, forcing the two to move it or get crushed. The ground shook as the boulders plummeted one by one.

"Stone Edge!" Rudy growled, becoming surrounded by a ring of sharp-edged rocks. With a burst of willpower, the rocks individually fired themselves at Pteryx. He was struck several times, being sent sprawling to the ground.

When he looked up, Wyvern and Luke could see that his Defeatist ability had activated. Fear greater than anything Luke had ever experienced was present in those wide eyes as Rudy advanced on the little Rock-and-Flying type.

"Har har har!" the Krokorok guffawed. "One little blow and all yer nerve runs outta you! Now let's finish you off, Tweety! Strength!" He whipped his powerful tail out from behind him, threatening to smash Pteryx.

At the sight of his friend's plight, Luke became courageous. "Enough!" he screamed. "Protect!" He zipped out from his hiding place and threw up a blue barrier that blocked Rudy's powerful tail.

Pteryx, Wyvern, Clawface, and Rudy all blinked in pure astonishment. The normally timid Victini had become proud and determined. His big blue eyes shot a poisonous glare at Rudy for daring to hurt his friend.

"Enough is enough!" he declared, flames forming around his hands. "I don't know who you are, but you'd better get away from my friends, or else!"

Rudy guffawed, long and hard. When he caught his breath, he wiped a tear from his eye and choked, "Or else what? You'll bite me ankles? Har har har har!"

Luke screamed with rage. "That does it! V-CREATE!"

His ears became infused with a fiery light. With another yell, he blasted Rudy with a huge V-shaped flame that sent the Ground-and-Dark type flying into a house. With a moan, Rudy fell still.

Clawface seethed with anger and vengeance as his teammate fell helplessly to the ground. "I'll kill you, shrimp!" he raged in a terrible voice. "I'll peck out your eyes! I'll skin you alive and roast you with your own fire!"

The Fearow screeched and rose into the air, orange light gathering at the back of his throat. "Die, impudent wretch! HYPER BEAM!"

The orange beam, sizzling with pure power, blasted out from Clawface's beak and streaked toward Luke. And at that moment, the confidence leaked out of him and the light of fear returned to his eyes.

-.-.-.-.-.

Gaby raced away from the town square, away from the crowd and away from the villains that had tried to mug her for the Shard. They hadn't gotten it from her – of course they hadn't. Even when struck so hard that she bled from the mouth, Gaby had stayed stoic and silent. She was strong that way.

The Kirlia finally allowed herself a moment of rest, dropping to her knees and panting for several seconds. _Those two will be fine,_ she thought, thinking of the two brave fossil Pokemon that had come to battle the bullies. _They're strong and bold, I could sense it in them. But the little Victini – oh, how I worry for him._

She shook the image of the admittedly cute Pokemon out of her mind. Such thoughts would only distract her from her task. And that task was to deliver the Shard. Gaby must deliver the Shard to the Guardians as a first step toward saving the world.

"Gaby!" came the familiar cry, and the teenaged Psychic-type looked up dazedly – the attack had taken a toll on her. But now, dashing toward her was her worried mother and a worried-looking Tirtouga.

The Gardevoir swooped down and hugged Gaby tightly, weeping with relief. "I'm so glad you're all right!" she cried with happiness, sniffling. Gaby gently pushed her away and said quietly, "I'm fine, Mother. I'm perfectly fine." But she let her mother fix her "hair" and the blue hair clip that was her trademark anyway.

The Tirtouga shuffled forward and raised a flipper. "What happened?" he asked. Gaby stared at him until her mother nodded for her to speak. She said, "Nothing much. Two Pokemon thought it would be fun to push me around."

It was a lie, but one that Gaby thought necessary to tell. _What could I have told them? That I'm in possession of a legendary item that could be the key to stopping the natural disasters, and the two were murderers that would do anything to get it? I think not._

"But where's Wyvern and Pteryx and Luke?" the Tirtouga pushed her. "Where are they now?" Gaby opened her mouth, but something happened to instantly silence her.

A colossal explosion shook the ground, with smoke coming up in massive amounts toward the town square. A crowd of Pokemon fled from the obvious destruction.

"My gosh!" cried the Tirtouga. "They need our help!" He crawled forward at as fast a pace as he could manage, but was outstripped by Gaby and her mother as they rushed to the scene of the crime, both of them wondering if it was already too late to help.

-.-.-.-.-.

Smoke filled the air as Clawface's Hyper Beam hit like a pile driver. Wyvern himself was busy coughing, trying to purge the smoke from his lungs, but at the same time his heart was crumbling. There was no way Luke, his friend, would have survived that.

But as the smoke cleared, Wyvern's eyes widened. Clawface looked similarly shocked, and Rudy was soon to see as well as he slowly regained consciousness.

It was Pteryx, Quick Guard already fading as he fell to the ground pathetically. Luke was safe behind him, staring at the fallen Archen with shock and worry fusing together in his eyes.

Clawface was very annoyed. This was the second time Pteryx had interrupted him as he attempted to kill someone. But it would be the last time. He readied another Hyper Beam, aiming it at the motionless Rock-and-Flying type and ignoring the incredible cost of energy the previous Hyper Beam had taken from him.

But then, Luke's eyes sparked once more with determination. "Not this time!" he cried, leaping into the air and readying an attack. "Fire Blast, go!"

Luke hurled a star-shaped blast of flame spinning straight at Clawface. Too close to dodge the wave of fire, he took it head-on, and the sheer force of the attack sent him spinning into the air, only to crash back down to the ground, unconscious.

The Victini's determination ebbed away to be replaced with excitement. _We did it! We defeated those bullies!_ he thought.

With the immediate threat out of the way (Rudy was still trying to get the world back into focus), Wyvern rushed over and scooped the much smaller bird Pokemon up in his arms. Pteryx was limp, and didn't stir. Luke hovered closely over him, gazing at him with the usual fear and worry.

"Will he live?" Luke gulped, tears forming in his eyes. Wyvern shook his head – he had no idea. There was indeed a slight pulse in Pteryx's chest, but would it last?

"Give him here," the soft voice said, making Wyvern flinch badly. The Kirlia from before was standing there, looking worse for wear but otherwise perfectly alright. Wyvern handed her Pteryx's body, and she looked him over.

After a mere glance, she said certainly, "He'll live."

Luke wept tears of joy at this simple remark, and the Kirlia smiled ever so slightly. Tortuga appeared suddenly around the corner on the far side of the market square, shuffling as quickly as he could toward his friends. "What happened here?" he asked, going into a rare panic attack. "Who got killed? What should we do?"

The Gardevoir that Wyvern hadn't noticed until now shushed him. "At ease, dear," she said soothingly. "Your friend will be alright. He is in desperate need of a doctor though."

Luke put in helpfully, "There's a clinic just across Seaside Village." But the Gardevoir shook her head. "I'm afraid his injuries are too severe for that. He'll need a real doctor, accustomed to situations like this. There is one on Diamond Island, if I recall."

Wyvern visibly relaxed. Diamond Island, home of the Diamond Faction, shared a direct trade route with the Water Faction. Getting there would be easy. "We just need a boat," the Archeops said, frowning. Could they find a boat quickly enough?

A voice cut through his worries. "We have a boat," said the Kirlia. "Can they use it, Mother?" The Gardevoir nodded at her words and replied, "Of course. You can pilot it if you wish – you're old enough now, and you know the boat better than anyone."

Luke tilted his head curiously. "Who're you?" he asked. The Kirlia replied with a small curtsy. "My name is Gaby. Pleased to meet you, and thank you for saving me."

The Gardevoir beamed at her daughter's good manners. "I'm sure the five of you will get along splendidly," she said cheerfully, despite the grim situation. "Now, I cannot go with you – I have to manage my shop, after all, and I have another little one to take care of as well. Gaby, you'll be alright with these four?"

Gaby nodded. "I'll do my best, Mother," she said, then hugged her goodbye. The Gardevoir left soon after that, still a little teary-eyed.

"What about those two?" Tortuga asked the instant she was gone, pointing with a flipper at Rudy and Clawface. Wyvern looked pained at the decision he had to make – he had to look after his little brother, but if he did, then the two could get away. He supposed Rudy wasn't so bad, being only a thief and bully, but Clawface was a notorious murderer that could get away with more if he escaped. Was it really worth letting the Fearow go?

He looked down at the motionless Pteryx, and made his decision. _No murderer, no matter how bad or how big the bounty is,_ he thought fiercely, _is worth abandoning my little brother for._

"Come on," Wyvern announced, regaining a little bit of his usual cheer. "We need to head for Diamond Island! Gaby, where's your boat?"

The Kirlia pointed in the general direction of the docks. "Follow me. I can show you the way." She began to walk off past the unconscious form of Clawface, giving him a good, defiant kick before leaving him for good.

Luke hovered after Gaby, with a look on his face that suggested he wanted to talk with her but was lacking the nerve. Wyvern kept well behind them, allowing Tortuga to catch up with him and walk beside him.

"Hey, Tortuga," Wyvern said after a moment as they left the market square behind them. "Why did Clawface decide to go after that girl? What's in it for him?" Tortuga shook his head and responded uncertainly, "I'm not quite sure. But if he was willing to push her around, there must have been something in it for him. Maybe she's more important than she looks."

Wyvern shrugged, thinking privately to himself, _Clawface came all the way to Seaside Village and risked showing his face in public, all for one Kirlia. What is he planning? Why is Gaby worth all that trouble?_

The Archeops shook his head to dispel the uncertain thoughts gathering in his head and redoubled his pace to catch up to Gaby and Luke. "Hey, slow down!" called Tortuga, but he didn't notice.

-.-.-.-.-.

Clawface woke up to a throbbing pain in his head, chest, tail – pretty much everywhere. But his head was in the most pain. He untangled himself from his own cloak and stood up shakily. Elsewhere, Rudy was slowly getting up as well.

Snorting to himself, the Fearow stomped over and slapped the Krokorok in the face. He woke up with a startled yell. "Whatcha do that for?" Rudy snarled.

"Because you deserved it!" Clawface shot back. "I don't know why I bothered hiring you to help me get that Shard. I could have done it myself."

Rudy was incensed. "Like it was my fault that rescue team showed up," he muttered, trying to curb his anger. "Not like it was much of a rescue team. Looked more like a buncha wannabes if ya ask me."

Despite himself, Clawface nodded agreement. "They were pathetic," he said. "But that little one – where does he get so much power?" He lost himself in thought, muttering softly and stroking his beak all the while.

He didn't even notice Rudy leave in disgust. Clawface didn't care about the thief – all he wanted was to find out how to get that Shard, and possibly where the little Victini got his intense energy.

Mind made up, the Fearow rose into the air and flew off in the direction of the valley, where his allies, the Darkfeather gang, awaited his report.

-.-.-.-.-.

Rudy stormed off, fuming. When Clawface had hired him, promising 1000 P to help him get something he called a Shard from a little Kirlia, it sounded very worth his while. Mugging Pokemon was what he did best, and taking a legendary item from a girl would be like taking candy from a Pichu.

It had gone easily enough – despite the fact the Kirlia turned out to be extremely stubborn – until those three had turned up. Just who did they think they are, messing with him and a notorious killer? Either they were really brave or just plain stupid.

Nevertheless, Rudy had gotten his tail handed to him. "Next time an infamous criminal asks for my help," he grumbled, "I'm saying no."

The worst part? He had to _walk_ all the way back to the desert – which was halfway across the continent. _Today just ain't my day._

He was so busy grumbling to himself that he barely took note of the dark shape that slunk up to walk beside him. When it didn't leave, Rudy growled, "Get out, Sylvester."

The Liepard smirked darkly. "Another failed theft?" he asked with mock pity. "I'm sorry to hear that. Maybe if you were a little bit more like me" –

Rudy whirled on his rival. "If I were more like you, I'd be hidin' like a coward in the shadows, _askin'_ fer money and valuables! I don't trick people into givin' me what I want – I scare 'em off and take it by force!"

Sylvester smirked again. "And how well is that approach going for you as of late?" he asked. Rudy glowered at the cat-like Pokemon. "Very well, make yer jokes. You stick to doin' what _you_ do, and I'll stick to what _I _do."

With that, the two thieves fell silent. But Sylvester piped up again, "That Clawface, he's a nasty piece of work. I can't believe that even you were stupid enough to take a job from him."

Then he was forced to run, if not for his life, then for his good health.

Sylvester didn't scare easy, but when angry, Rudy was a particularly scary guy.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Pteryx is in danger and Clawface has escaped! Can things get any worse for Team Fossil and their friends? And just what is this mysterious Shard that Gaby seems to have gotten a hold of?**

**Keep asking yourselves those questions, because I'm still trying to figure it all out myself.**

**Sylvester belongs to Lady Monopolist.**

**OCs are still needed! Although I have no particular preference, I need HEROES! I need an awesome exploration/rescue team to swoop down and save the day!**

**Also, if any of you that have already submitted OCs have any other ideas, I'll gladly accept them. I don't mind if you give me one or two other characters to use!**


	4. Diamond Island, Destroyed!

**Let's take a break from Wyvern's team's journey, shall we? And enter… a brand new set of characters!**

**Don't worry, we'll get back to Team Fossil in a few chapters, but for now, we're going to sneak a peek at another team's troubles…**

**Characters, characters, people! Send me 'em by the truckload!**

-.-.-.-.-.

Away from Seaside Village, a lone bird Pokemon flew across the valley to the designated meeting place. His only focus was to reach the southern mountains, and the gang of criminals he knew to be hiding there.

Clawface reached his destination in a mere half hour. Lighting down on a small rock outcropping on the side of a cliff, he stared at the small cave opening that existed there and waited.

He didn't have long to do so – a dark, feathered shape emerged from the cave, seemingly melting out of the shadows. Clawface allowed a smile to cross his beak. "Mara," he greeted with a slight bow.

"Clawface," the Honchkrow said with equal formality – or was it indifference? "Did you get what we wanted?" The Fearow ignored the question and hissed, "Do you have the fledglings?"

Mara's face twisted into a scowl. "This is Darkfeather territory," she said warningly. "In other words – _my_ territory. I asked you a question, and you _must _answer it. I ask again – did you get what we wanted?"

It was Clawface's turn to scowl, and it was made even more frightening by the amount of scars slashing across his face. "…No," he finally said, spitting out the word as if it took him a lot of effort to say it. "A rescue team interfered and forced me to retreat."

The Honchkrow was expressionless. "That is… disappointing," she murmured. "At least you weren't caught. What about the Krokorok?" Clawface snorted, "He was worthless. I left him."

Now Mara was enraged. "Why?!" she snarled. "The Life Stealers are our allies, and abandoning one of their members is bound to sour our relations with them! What if they decide to break off the alliance? Then that's one more Shard for _us_ to recover!"

With another scowl, Clawface spat, "Fine, I will attempt to find that desert trash again. Now, I repeat my earlier question – where are the fledglings?"

Silence was the answer.

Clawface sighed. "I guess neither of us is any closer to our goal. Remember, I have not yet agreed to join you Darkfeather idiots, and thus should not be treated like one of your pitiful Pidgeotto. Next time we meet, I expect the fledglings to be in your possession."

Mara glared heatedly at him. "And the same goes for us. You _will_ get that Shard." The Fearow bowed again and said, "Of course."

The Honchkrow slipped back into the cave, and the Fearow flew back off into the afternoon sun, ready for another attempt at the Shard.

-.-.-.-.-.

The Buizel had been born far, far away from this place. As a wanderer, it wasn't unusual for him to have been born far away from where he currently was. So why did he wander? Why didn't he stay in the Yin-Yang Islands? Did he have wanderlust, or a need to see the world?

No. Cenric had been wandering around the continent for several years in search of a Pokemon he held most dear. Something had happened to make the Absol go missing, and he was determined to find her. But being away from home had one additional benefit – it allowed him to let go of those painful memories.

Cenric still loved his family and friends, and the only reminder of them he had was precious to him, more precious than the largest gold deposit. It was a small locket he always wore around his neck, a locket that contained all of the things he held close to his heart.

When the Buizel felt lonely, he would open up the locket and stare at it for hours on end, remembering past times, happier times he had shared with his family and friends. He had always been a popular guy, and thus had many friends to remember. He missed all of them equally – OK, maybe one more equally than the rest, if that makes sense.

But now, Cenric didn't have time to think about that. The sky was dark with storm clouds, but for now the storm hadn't started. He was relieved for that, for the sea was already quite choppy. He thanked his mother for giving him the Sea Weasel gene, because it was only his inflatable neck ring and propeller-like tail that allowed him to navigate the rough waters.

_What's going on?_ Cenric thought in frustration for what felt like the hundredth time. _The storm hasn't started, the wind isn't blowing… what's kicking up these damn waves?_

Cenric was a cheerful fellow, but even he had his limits. And those limits were being stretched farther and farther as he bobbed up and down in the endless ocean, without a soul to talk to or even the slightest sign of land.

But wait! Something appeared on the horizon – which was hard to keep an eye on, by the way – that made him rethink that last bit. It rose up out of the water, kind of like a rock… or maybe…

_An island!_

At last, Cenric would be able to rest for a few days, stock up on supplies for his now-empty treasure bag, and eat well.

Only thing was… the island wasn't exactly in any condition to give him these things.

-.-.-.-.-.

Diamond Island was a rather large island, with a populous town and trade center. It received shipments from not only Seaside Village, but Vulcana City as well. Pokemon came from all over to shop, visit friends, or just relax on the sandy beaches and the peaceful meadows.

Or, at least, they used to.

The earthquake had been more severe than any natural disaster Diamond Island had ever experienced. The fissure had collapsed houses, killed hundreds of locals, and literally split the island in two. Now, half of the island had partially sunk beneath the ocean, and the other half was rendered uninhabitable.

A small cove had formed when the larger half had begun to sink – formed by two small cliffs that joined at a ninety-degree angle. The water wasn't rising very fast, but it was already licking at the base of the cliffs.

Three Pokemon were trapped here, awaiting rescue while they watched bits and pieces of the Town of Peace float out into the open ocean. Once in a while, there would be a small aftershock that would shake their little cove, sending new waves into the water.

The smallest Pokemon, a young Charmander, shivered with cold as the water washed over her toes. She instinctively kept her tail held high, trying to keep the flame on its tip as dry as possible. "I wanna go home…" she sniffled, shivering some more and blowing her nose on her blue scarf.

A Dragonair wrapped the end of her tail comfortingly around her. "It's going to be OK, Terra," she soothed. "As soon as we're sure there aren't any other survivors, we'll get out of here. There might be others that need us."

The last of the trio, a grumpy Tentacruel, snapped indignantly, "And how long will it take for us to be sure? Until we starve to death waiting for someone who might never come along to be rescued?" They had already been there for days, and his patience was wearing thin.

"Give it a rest, Alphonse," the Dragonair sighed. "If you aren't good with waiting here, you can always just swim away." Alphonse snorted and looked away, keeping silent. They both knew he would never leave his only two friends in the lurch.

"Miss Evelyn?" Terra asked the Dragonair. "How long will it be before a rescue team comes?" The Dragon-type sighed heavily and looked out at the choppy water, shadowed by the overcast sky. The sea was as empty as could be, not including the pieces of driftwood and sea-soaked Berries floating around. "I don't know," Evelyn replied. "It could be never. But I highly doubt the Guardians would allow this disaster to go uninvestigated."

Alphonse spoke up bitterly. "They let the previous disaster go uninvestigated," he said with a ragged cough. "That tsunami that happened on the Glacier of Absence? They completely ignored it."

Evelyn had just about had it with her friend's negativity. "No one lives there!" she said sharply. "It wasn't worth investigating because no one had been put in danger! Now if you have nothing of worth to say, don't say anything!"

Everything was silent after that, except for the gentle lapping of the waves and the occasional sneeze from Terra or cough from Alphonse. Evelyn looked around worriedly – they would need to go very soon. If there were indeed no survivors, there was no point in staying here. They needed to find somewhere to rest.

But just then, Terra pointed at something out in the water with her glowing tail. "Hey guys!" she squeaked. "I think there's someone out there!"

The Dragonair and Tentacruel both squinted out in that direction. Indeed, as they soon saw, there was a bright orange head bobbing around in the water in the far distance! "Well? Don't just stand there, let's signal him!" Alphonse said, then fired an Ice Beam into the air.

Terra shot a small Ember into the sky alongside Alphonse's Ice Beam, and Evelyn joined in with a Dragon Rage attack. The purple, serpentine blast shot into the sky and exploded with energy, sending out a signal that could be seen for miles.

The little orange head began to move toward the trio. "It saw us," the Tentacruel said with relief. He blasted another Ice Beam into the sky for good measure.

Soon, the Pokemon was wading toward their cove. He was a Buizel from the look of him, and seemed to be alone and exhausted. The locket dangling from his neck and the treasure bag he carried caught the trio's interest.

"Excuse me," Evelyn asked politely, "are you on a rescue team?" The Buizel shook his head wearily. "No, sorry. I'm just a wanderer."

Terra deflated, and Alphonse looked glummer than usual. "So you didn't come to rescue us?" the Charmander asked. The Buizel shook his head again. "Sorry. I was on my way here to rest and stock up on supplies, but when I got here I found this… wreck."

Alphonse nodded. "That pretty much sums it up," he growled. "As far as we know, we're the only survivors."

The Sea Weasel Pokemon looked taken aback. "You three are the only survivors on the entire island?" he gasped. Evelyn sighed and replied, "Yes, so it seems."

A long, serious silence stretched on after that. "I'm Cenric," the Buizel said eventually. Evelyn pointed toward her two companions. "Alphonse and Terra. I'm Evelyn. I think we should really get off this island and find a place to rest."

Cenric nodded, but suddenly flopped to the ground, making a small splash in the shallow water. "I'm exhausted," he sighed. "Can I get a lift from one of you?"

The Tentacruel tucked in his tentacles and lowered himself to the ground. "Climb aboard," he said simply. Cenric climbed on top of Alphonse's head and stretched out tiredly. "Terra, you can ride with me," Evelyn said, lowering her head for the Charmander to get on. Terra did so after a moment's hesitation, firmly clasping the Dragonair's neck with her hands.

"Where to?" Alphonse asked Evelyn, who gave a limbless Pokemon's version of a shrug. "I was thinking the Elemental Islets. They're close, and relatively safe. We'll be able to rest up and then decide on our next course of action."

With that said and done, the Dragonair lifted into the sky, and the Tentacruel sank into the rough water. Together, they headed north for the Islets, leaving their ruined home behind them.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Evelyn and Alphonse belong to one of my friends. Terra belongs to TriMaplenut. Cenric belongs to FinalPower.**

**Clawface is allied with Mara the Honchkrow and her Darkfeather gang, and Diamond Island is no more! What will Evelyn and her group do once they reach the Elemental Islets? And what about Team Fossil, and how will they react once they find that there is no help for Pteryx?**

**Find out in the next chapter, and yes, I'm still expecting OC requests!**


	5. Team Biosphere

**When we last left off, Evelyn, Alphonse, Cenric, and Terra had left the ruins of Diamond Island to crumble into the sea, and were heading for the Elemental Islets. But will they get there safely?**

**Read on and find out!**

-.-.-.-.-.

The Town of Peace was in a complete ruin. Houses had collapsed on top of each other and themselves, forming haphazard piles of wood and rubble. The debris was slowly being carried out to sea by the combined efforts of gravity and a slow, rising current, one piece at a time. But in one of these piles, there was the sudden creaking of timber as something from within fought to escape its prison.

Cobalt the Riolu suddenly crawled from the wreckage, all dusty and battered. He coughed a couple of times before hitting the ground with a splash. Cobalt weakly got to his feet and adjusted his scarf.

"Hello?" he called cautiously. No one answered.

"I'm alone here," he said to himself. It always calmed him when he talked out loud. "Now I have to find a way to get off the island."

Cobalt thought for a little bit, wondering how to escape without a Water or Flying Pokemon to help him. Finally, the Riolu decided to build a raft using the pieces of wood lying about. "At least there's a lot of that," he said. "And I'm sure I can find some rope lying around too."

In the end, Cobalt found a lot of wood and rope, as well as a treasure bag and a surprising amount of (intact) supplies. He was well prepared now for a journey at sea. Cobalt was feeling pretty good about himself as he hauled his raft out toward the coast, when suddenly a realization popped into his head. And it wasn't a very good one.

"Terra…" he whispered the name. "If I'm alone on Diamond Island, then she must be dead." The Riolu dropped his raft and sank to his knees. He had always loved the Charmander, right from the start. But now, it seemed as if he would never see her again.

Just then, he felt a dim pulse deep within him. Although he had no way of knowing it, it was the Aura inside of him, guiding him and telling him where to go next. All he knew was that the dim pulse was coming from the direction of the Elemental Islets. Cobalt also knew to trust the pulse, as he had felt it before.

"OK then," he said in as strong a voice as he could manage. "I'm going to the Elemental Islets. Any objections?" Cobalt raised his head to the sky, as if addressing Arceus himself. But there was absolutely no reply other than the low whistle of the wind.

"Alright, that settles that," he said with satisfaction, then picked up his raft and walked down to the coast. With his supplies, his courage, and his life most importantly, Cobalt the Riolu started on his journey, not knowing that his destiny was intertwined with those of others…

-.-.-.-.-.

"Are we there yet?" Cenric asked, lazily trailing his hand in the water. Alphonse replied with a snappish, "If you're bored, you can occupy your time by pulling your own dead weight. The Elemental Islets are still at least two miles away, so we've got a few more hours to go."

The Buizel was about to reply angrily, when Evelyn swooped down and began to fly beside them, skimming the water. "Stop fighting!" Terra exclaimed. "It's bad enough we're homeless, can we at least be homeless while still being friends?"

Alphonse growled but said nothing. _That oaf is NOT my friend,_ he thought stubbornly. _I already have Terra and Evelyn. I don't want any more._ As you can see, Alphonse was a little on the clingy side.

Terra patted Evelyn's neck. "Miss Evelyn, what will we do once we get to the Elemental Islets?" The Dragonair shook her head uncertainly. "I'm not sure. We're going to rest and eat first – I know there's a small village on each island, and we'll be welcomed for certain. Then, I think SeasideVillage would be a good stop. From there, we can go to VulcanaCity."

The Charmander was confused. "Why do we want to go to the city?" she asked. Evelyn replied, "Because that's the best place to go in order to get information. And we'll be able to find the Guardians there, and tell them about Diamond Island's destruction."

Cenric piped up, now lying on his back. "What's so great about the Guardians anyway? I've never heard of them, so how great can they be?"

The Tentacruel on which he rode rolled his eyes up to stare at Cenric. "Are you serious?" he asked. "The Guardians keep the peace. They know everything that happens on the continent and surrounding islands. When trouble happens, they do their best to help out by sending rescue teams. I've heard that the Darkfeather gang is pretty nasty, and a lot of their members are wanted by the Guardians. Anyway, the Guardians have a secret island in the middle of nowhere, and they say only the kings and queens of the Kingdoms know where it is. That's part of the reason they're so effective at what they do – they can do it all from the safety of their hidden base."

Silent now, the Buizel just looked down at Alphonse, awed at the notion of such a society. But Terra was thinking long and hard about these Guardians. She and her friend Cobalt had heard stories about them, but had never thought that they were real.

_Cobalt!_ Where was he now? If he was on Diamond Island when that earthquake had hit, then he was probably dead right now. Maybe he was watching over them from Arceus' domain even now, and Terra looked up at the cloudy sky, hoping to catch a glimpse.

Then other thoughts began to pervade her mind. Why had Diamond Island been destroyed? What had caused that earthquake? Why wasn't the Diamond Faction's chosen Legendary, Dialga, there to help? Why hadn't the almighty Temporal Pokemon moved the island forward in time to escape the earthquake, or imprisoned them in limbo to wait it out? Terra's mind was full of these kinds of questions, and they were all to big and mysterious for her to answer. _But so help me, I want to find out the answers for myself._

She spoke up now. "I think… I think we should find the Guardians."

Alphonse, Cenric, and Evelyn all looked at her. Nervous now, Terra continued, "We should form a rescue team. You know, to help other Pokemon and maybe stop these disasters."

There was still no reply other from their stares. "It's a bad idea, isn't it?" murmured the Charmander, blushing. Evelyn spoke up indignantly, "Actually, it's a pretty good one! Why didn't I think of that?"

Terra smiled from the Dragon-type's praise. "I'm in if you two are in," Alphonse said with unusual cheer. "Count me out," Cenric stated, crossing his arms. "I have things to do."

Alphonse was back to his old cranky self in a heartbeat. "Good riddance. No one asked you to join anyway," he snapped, and Evelyn gave him a warning glare.

When he quieted, she said thoughtfully, "I think I have a name for our rescue team – until we get to the Guardians and they give us one, of course." Her friends nodded for her to go on.

"We can be Team Biosphere."

After a moment of confused silence, Evelyn explained. "Think about it. We have three members – me, Alphonse, and Terra. I represent the sky, Alphonse represents the sea, and Terra represents the land."

The Charmander's eyes brightened. "I like it!" she exclaimed, hugging Evelyn around the neck. "I don't have any objections," Alphonse put in. "Team Biosphere it is."

Cenric said nothing. _As soon as I find my friend,_ he thought determinedly, _I'm joining my parents' rescue team. Cenric of Team Searchers. That'll be me, no doubt about it._

But the others were unaware of his thoughts, so he made sure not to say any of this aloud. Instead, he complained, "Are we there yet?" again.

Alphonse's response was to dunk himself fully under the dark water, forcing Cenric to sink or swim.

-.-.-.-.-.

"Can't the two of 'em shut up?" Rudy muttered to himself as Sylvester chatted alongside his little sister beside him. The little Purrloin, Shadepelt, had joined them on the path to the Dunedust Desert, and more importantly, back to the Life Stealers. The gang of thieves was also looking for a Shard, thus rendering them and the Darkfeather gang allies. When they had heard Clawface was searching for a Shard near Seaside Village, Rudy had been volunteered (key words – _had been_) to help him obtain it.

But what he hadn't counted on was being fired and then forced to trudge back home with two talkative felines in tow.

"What's the matter, Rudy?" the Purrloin asked snidely. "Thinking about a change of ways to make your life a little more successful?" Rudy growled – even Sylvester's little sister was bugging him to change his bullying ways and become a con artist.

_Yeah, that's going to happen._

"Shut it!" Rudy warned. "I'd be worryin' about yer own life, if I was you. And if ya say somethin' else about me, you will be worryin' about yer life!"

Sylvester jumped in to prevent a full-blown fight, which Rudy would almost definitely win. Shadepelt may have been sly, but she was useless in a one-on-one battle. "Gully, hush please. It isn't worth provoking him, not when his temper is so short even on a good day." He cast a smirk over his shoulder at Rudy.

The Krokorok was about ready to explode. Stuck with two arrogant cat Pokemon with an insulting lack of brutality and a cowardly profession… it was insulting, and enough to drive him mad.

But right then, there was the sound of beating wings, and a familiar figure landed in front of them, stopping them all in their tracks.

Rudy's snarl deepened at the sight of Clawface's smug smile. "What do ya want _now_, Scarface?" he said rudely. "Come to hire-then-fire me again? I've wizened up. I don't take offers from ya any more."

The Fearow darkened at the "Scarface" remark, but composed himself with effort. "I don't like what I'm about to say any more than you will," he said carefully, picking his words. "But I'd like to re-hire you in a second attempt to get the Shard from that Kirlia."

Sylvester and Shadepelt looked on with interest. Rudy eyed them with caution, then snapped back at the Fearow. "Oh, so yer just gonna forgive and forget, huh? No hard feelings for last time, just get the Shard and go?"

Clawface smirked. "Yep," he said. "Got a problem with that?" With a laugh, Rudy replied, "Too many, Beaky. If you don't recall, we got our tails kicked by that rescue team, remember? What happens if they show up again?"

His smirk only growing wider, Clawface pointed with his talon at Sylvester and Shadepelt. "They won't stand a chance, because these two will be helping us get the Shard."

The Liepard laughed sarcastically. "Says who, Scarface?" he drawled, and the big bird reacted instantly, grabbing Shadepelt in his talons and squeezing her neck.

"Either you help, or this little one gets it," Clawface said darkly, tightening his grip. Shadepelt swallowed thickly and shot her brother a fearful glance. Sylvester's face was simultaneously appalled and completely shocked that the bird would do such a thing.

After a moment, he composed himself and unsheathed his claws angrily. "Fine. Give her back."

Clawface put the Purrloin down and gave her head a friendly little pat, as if he had never threatened to strangle her. "Now that wasn't so hard, was it?" he asked innocently. "Now let's go, Life Stealers. Let's get that Shard, and then you can finally go home."

-.-.-.-.-.

Seaside Village had finally gotten back to normal after the incident that had recently conspired. The Gardevoir, Adrianna, had been thrilled and relieved that her daughter Gaby had been strong enough to live through it. Although she knew Gaby was strong, Adrianna still worried about her. That was a mother's job, after all.

Her littlest one, a Ralts not even two months old, was in her arms. Topaz was sleeping, tiny chest rising and falling as he lay there, sucking on his pacifier contentedly. He was wrapped in a blanket that used to belong to Gaby. The sight of him always made Adrianna smile.

The duo, the mother and her baby son, were on their way to their home after a walk through town. Their home was located on the far side of Seaside Village, near the mountains. It was a pleasant, peaceful walk from the bustling town and up the rolling, grassy slopes to the foot of the mountains, where most of the houses were located.

Adrianna's thoughts wandered, once again, to Gaby and her new friends. She made a mental note to thank the fossil Pokemon and their Victini friend for saving her daughter from those ferocious Pokemon. _Where are they now?_ Adrianna wondered. _Diamond Island is a ways away, so it might take a day or so to get there at best. But I think there's a storm blowing in – what if they're blown off course?_

The Gardevoir sighed and tried to relax. It never paid to worry – she had to trust that Gaby knew what she was doing. Besides, she had those strong Pokemon with her, so she'd be safe.

Adrianna and Topaz were almost home when they suddenly found something that they should _definitely_ be worrying about. She found her and her child surrounded by four malicious-looking Pokemon – two of which she recognized.

"Hello there," Clawface sneered, stepping forward. "Might we talk?"

-.-.-.-.-.

**Gotta love them cliffies. XD**

**Cobalt belongs to TriMaplenut. Shadepelt belongs to Megadracosaurus. Adrianna and Topaz belong to me.**

**I've been getting many character requests, which is good, so I'm busying myself with putting them into separate Factions and trying to figure out which ones will meet up with whom. It's kind of fun, actually, but I predict that this fanfic will be a pretty long one.**

**But that isn't a bad thing. So… character requests are as welcome as ever! See you all soon!**

**P.S. Try to imagine that image – a Gardevoir with a baby Ralts sucking on a pacifier in her arms. So cute!**


	6. Owls and Distressed Sailors

**Not the best title ever, but it'll do, I suppose. I hope you readers can guess which characters will be making a return in this chapter!**

-.-.-.-.-.

Clawface stepped forward with a semi-malicious smile on his beak. He was trying to appear more pleasant than usual, which wasn't something he often practiced. However, even the murderer had to admit that sometimes diplomacy was necessary (not often, though).

The other three Pokemon closed in a few paces, surrounding Adrianna. The Gardevoir instinctively backed away, clutching Topaz more tightly. The baby Ralts slept on peacefully, unaware of what was happening.

"What, exactly, do you want from me?" Adrianna asked, forcing herself to remain calm. It wouldn't do well to panic when she and her little one were trapped by four suspicious Pokemon, one of which was a well-known killer.

"Not much, actually," Clawface said casually, with a flick of his wing. "Yeh'd think that thieves like us would want everythin' from our victims," Rudy rasped helpfully on the sidelines. "But we don't this time," Sylvester put in, lazily eyeing the two Psychic-types.

Adrianna remained silent. The Fearow waited for her to say something, and when she didn't, he continued, "Look, we could spend all day with this silly chatter if we wanted. But we don't, so let's cut right to the chase. We want – ahem, we require – the Shard that your daughter has. …That was your daughter, right?" he added, clearly referring to Gaby.

"She was," Adrianna confirmed cautiously. "But I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about. What Shard?"

Rudy, Sylvester, and Shadepelt exchanged skeptical glances, but Clawface's gaze never wavered from the Gardevoir. "I see," he said slowly. "I didn't think someone would share the fact they were holding onto a legendary artifact, even to their mother." He gave Adrianna a nod, as if he understood her ignorance completely.

Meanwhile, her mind was in turmoil. _What Shard is he referring to? How long has Gaby had it? Or do they simply have the wrong Pokemon, and it's someone else they're actually looking for?_

But before she could say any of this out loud, Clawface was speaking again. "I guess I'm going to have to ask your daughter myself," he sighed. "Rudy, Sylvester, Shadepelt, keep this one company while I go find the Kirlia." And with a single flap of his wings, he was flying toward the housing district.

Of course, Adrianna knew that Gaby was far away from Seaside Village, and Clawface's search was for naught. However, when he didn't find her, he would probably get frustrated or angry, and that didn't bode well for her. She had to escape, but how could two Psychic-types, including one who couldn't even walk, fight off three Dark-types?

All Adrianna could do was hope that Clawface wouldn't find the Shard – and not take it out on her when he realized Gaby wasn't there.

-.-.-.-.-.

The last of the valley blew by as the two owl Pokemon left the forest behind them. "See?" Barn said. "No trouble at all. We bypassed the Darkfeather fort entirely." Elf had to admit that he was indeed right.

"Now where is this village you were telling me about?" the Hoothoot asked him. Barn tilted his head one way and thought about it, hard. After a moment, he said hesitantly, "I think we should be able to see it if we fly high enough. It's supposed to be just beyond the mountains."

Elf nodded and flapped her tiny wings in relative silence. Barn stroked ahead, seeing the craggy cliffs coming ever closer. _Soon,_ he thought, _we'll be past those mountains and out of the wild. We'll be immersing ourselves in Pokemon society – how will we fit in exactly?_

But doing so was the only way to find out about the Guardians. They needed to be warned of the Darkfeather gang. From their time spent in their hideout, Barn and Elf had discovered that they were looking for something called a "Shard". What they wanted it for was anyone's guess, but they privately doubted it was for the general, Mara, to hang on her wall and admire.

The air turned crisp and cool as the two friends flew up a hundred feet or so to avoid crashing into the mountain peaks. There was slightly less air up near the peaks, but it was nothing life-threatening. Barn twisted his head this way and that to admire the fantastic alpine scenery, with the snow-capped cliffs and pine trees growing on the slopes.

The mountain range wasn't especially large, and they reached the other side after about a half hour of fantastic flying. Barn looked down at the ground far below them and said to Elf, "Your eyes are sharper than mine. What can you see down there?"

Elf squinted and muttered to herself uncertainly, and then replied to Barn's question. "I see a lot of mist, probably because we're so high up. But I see a kind of blotchy thing way down on the ground. I can't describe it, but it might be the town we're searching for."

The Noctowl soared downward, carving a great arc in the sky as he tried to see as well. He squinted, then replied, "Yes, I think you're right! Let's fly down and see!" The smaller owl Pokemon flapped madly to keep up with her friend as he dove down farther, noticing as the air became saltier and more humid, due to the proximity to the great briny ocean.

"Yep, it's definitely a town!" Barn cried. "I can see buildings!" But just then, something caught his attention off to the side, and he stopped flying momentarily. Hovering there and observing that which caught his eye, he motioned for Elf to fly in front of him. "Elf, what do you see there?"

The Hoothoot saw what he was getting at in seconds. "I see a bunch of Pokemon," she observed. "Three of them look like they're surrounding that other one!" Barn gritted his beak and made a decision. "Come on," he told her. "If those Pokemon are indeed surrounding the other, they're probably ganging up on it, and that means we're going to have to save the day!"

Barn folded his wings and plunged down from the sky, diving rapidly toward the suspicious scene unfolding down below. _Saving the day… this is what the Guardians do! _he thought with an inexplicable thrill of pure excitement.

He was coming in fast, and he could see that the shifty-looking Pokemon were a Krokorok, Liepard, and Purrloin, and the one they were surrounding was a Gardevoir. _Dark-types are always up to no good!_ Barn thought to himself, charging toward the Liepard. "Take Down!" he hooted, bracing for impact.

The Noctowl slammed into the Liepard with such an impact, he hurt himself as well. "YOOOOW!" the Liepard yowled as Barn's speeding form hit like a feathery bullet. Barn swooped up and around, then landed on the ground near the tall Psychic-type.

"Leave her alone, bullies!" he declared in what he hoped was a good Guardian-esque voice. "Um… they are bullies, right…?" he added in a whisper to the Gardevoir from the side of his beak.

She nodded frantically. "Yes! My name's Adrianna, and they're keeping me here while they wait for their boss to return! Who knows what they'll do to me and my baby!" With a start, Barn could now see a baby Ralts sleeping in her arms. _No one threatens babies!_ he thought, rage filling his heart.

By now, Elf had caught up to him, and the Liepard had gotten to his feet. "My my, such brave birds," he said smoothly, wincing slightly as he tried to maintain his cool attitude in the face of injury. "Brave, or just stupid?" the Purrloin, possibly a sister or daughter, added, unsheathing her claws with a hungry look in her eye. Elf gulped and tried to keep Barn in between her and the black cat.

"Either way, they're gonna pay fer messin' with the Life Stealers!" the Krokorok growled, cracking his clawed knuckles. "So that's who you are," Barn declared boldly, drawing himself up to his full height – a head shorter than the Gardevoir and a full two feet higher than the Liepard. "The Guardians will hear about this, mark my words!"

Inwardly, Barn was quaking. The only non-Psychic-type attack he knew was Take Down, and Elf had Peck. Against Dark-types, they were pretty much asking for a near-impossible fight to win. But they had no choice. _We have to prove ourselves heroes if we want to join the Guardians, _Barn thought determinedly, masking his fear well.

"With the Guardians, huh?" the Krokorok laughed. "I was expectin' a heftier bunch than you two featherbrains!" Barn realized from his words that this group was wanted by the Guardians. _Good to know._

"Are we going to fight, or just talk?" snarled the Purrloin, clearly itching for a fight. The Liepard silenced her with a wave of his paw (and an accompanying cringe of pain). "Excuse my sister," he said apologetically, "she's always like that."

But then, an unexpected voice came ringing out. "What's this about a fight?" it called, bored-sounding. A powerful Fearow landed at the head of the trio. "Seriously, you three. All you think about is fighting. Try expanding your minds."

The Krokorok scowled and muttered, "Coming from the murderer…" The bird swatted him with a wing to keep him quiet.

"Did you find the Shard, or at least the Kirlia?" the Liepard asked eagerly. The Fearow shook his head.

"No," he said in a voice that somehow didn't bode well for either Barn or Elf. "She's _mysteriously_ disappeared, right after we attack her for an attempt at the Shard. Something tells me Miss Innocent here indeed knows about the artifact and her daughter's role." He gave the Gardevoir a poisonous glare, and she drew back and clutched her little Ralts tighter.

"Think we can take on the three lackeys?" Elf whispered to Barn. He nodded with a slight grin and replied, "I thought you'd never ask! Let's kick some tail feathers!"

With shrill screams, the two owls shot into the air to do battle. "Hmm," the Fearow said, "looks like the fledglings have some spirit. But thank you both, by the way. Now I can grab you for my own without having to rely on the Darkfeathers to do it for me! Guess now it doesn't matter that the Kirlia's missing!"

The Beak Pokemon turned to look back at the Gardevoir. "But that still doesn't give you the OK to leave. No one, _no one_ lies to Clawface!"

And with that, he swept forward, ready for battle.

-.-.-.-.-.

On the main route to Diamond Island, a ship sailed through the choppy waters. This wasn't very unusual, as many ships went back and forth through this path. Seaside Village and the Town of Peace shared a trade route between each other, so it was normal to see boats passing through.

What was unusual, though, was the fact that this ship wasn't carrying goods or other cargo – unless you counted injured Pokemon as such.

Wyvern was crouched in the cramped cabin of the _Tranquility_ with Luke at his side, looking over the unconscious Archen in his bed. Pteryx hadn't stirred in hours, which was very worrying. Gaby had said that he would live, but that wasn't much comfort when the First Bird Pokemon could be in a coma – which is usually what happened when one took a Hyper Beam to the chest and survived.

"Come on, bro," Wyvern said, trying to keep his spirits up. "Can't have you at death's door, Pteryx. Who'll I laugh with or work with, or even make fun of, if you're gone?"

Luke was sitting on the edge of the bed, watching over Pteryx. "Pteryx, you're strong," he said, then turned to Wyvern. "But Wyvern, you're strong as well. You can't have a breakdown when there's still hope. The doctor at Diamond Island will take care of him. Have faith!"

Wyvern blinked. Luke was often at his strongest when defending a friend, and that was exactly what was happening now. Luke wanted Pteryx to feel better again, and that hope was turning into strength. His words took on a new energy because of this, and Wyvern found himself inexplicably believing the Victini.

The Archeops nodded, and Luke smiled kindly. "I'm going up to the deck," he said. "Take care of your brother."

Luke floated out of the cabin and down the corridor, climbing up the steps and unlatching the escape hatch at the top. He found himself on the deck of the _Tranquility_, with the salty sea breeze lashing with a pleasant roughness and the sight of Gaby steering the ship.

He floated fully out of the hatch and over to where Gaby stood. She had her eyes on the horizon, but instantly knew that Luke was there beside her. "What is it?" she asked without tearing her gaze away from the waves in front of them.

Her directness surprised Luke, who found himself stumbling over his words. "W-Well, I j-just… I just wanted to s-see if you're alright," he stammered. Gaby looked at him this time with curiosity, although she also seemed to be studying him as well. Her red eyes bored into Luke's blue ones, and he suddenly noticed that he was blushing. He hastily looked away and took a deep breath.

"A-Are you OK?" he asked timidly. Gaby sighed and replied, "Yes, I'm fine. I just don't feel like talking." In truth, she never did. Other Pokemon viewed her as vague and mysterious, which was fine with her. Gaby didn't trust others with her secrets – least of all the Shard.

"I'm sorry to disturb you," Luke said after a second. Gaby forced a smile as she replied, "It's fine. You're not disturbing me."

The Victini blushed again and stayed silent.

They stood there in silence for a while longer, with Luke stealing glances at Gaby occasionally. He found her very mysterious and intriguing, not put off in the least by her quietness. Instead, he found himself almost drawn to her – he didn't know why this was. After all, Wyvern, Pteryx, and even Tortuga were better company. _Maybe,_ he mused, _it has something to do with her eyes. She has the most beautiful eyes…_

His wistful thoughts were interrupted by the sudden appearance of Tortuga, who popped his head out of the water beside the ship. "I don't see much up ahead!" he yelled over the breeze. "No Sharpedo, no Basculin – not even any Magikarp! But there's a lot of driftwood floating around, there seems to have been some kind of destruction around he" –

A huge crashing sound cut him off, accompanied by a flash of light from overhead. Gaby averted her eyes to the sky, which was covered in thick black clouds. "Luke, get back down below," she ordered sternly.

Luke was taken aback by her directness. "But" – "_Do it!_" the Kirlia screeched. She felt a huge pang of guilt as she saw fear and sadness in those eyes_. I can apologize later, _she thought as Luke dejectedly went back below deck. _But I have other things to deal with right now…_

And then the rain started. Huge, stinging drops that hammered on the deck like hail. Gaby winced as she was subjected to the elements, with the wind blowing the water right into her face as she struggled with the wheel.

_I curse myself for not deciding to learn Psychic…_ she thought furiously as she tried using her strength to keep the ship on course, and as a Machoke once told her, she was hopeless at muscle-work.

Tortuga was fighting his own battle against the rough current, trying to keep his head above the water. Gaby noticed him yelling something, but couldn't pay attention at this very moment. _Is this a natural disaster? Is this a hurricane?_ she wondered, then refocused her mind on the job.

But if it _was _a hurricane, then there was no way she'd be able to power through it. Even Lugia himself couldn't swim through this safely.

Over the fury of the wind and rain, Gaby heard a bellowing cry. Several massive blue shapes appeared on the surface of the increasingly rough waves. A pod of Wailord had decided to surface, shooting up massive amounts of steam and water from their blowholes. On any other day, this would have been a magnificent sight – Gaby herself loved Wailord-watching. But today, it was a sight that brought no comfort. The gargantuan Water-types' wailing cries sent chills up her spine as the noises twined with that of the howling wind and battering rain.

The combination of noises – the shrieking of the wind, the hammering of the rain, and the bellows of the Wailord – formed a wall of sheer sound that threatened to drive Gaby mad. At last, she couldn't take it anymore and screamed, silently pleading for everything to stop.

And then, the tearing winds reached their zenith. Overwhelmed by the cacophony of sound and driving monsoon, the Kirlia simply gave up. The gale-force wind picked her up and slammed her into the mast of the ship. And then the world went black.

The Tranquility was spinning and rocking dizzyingly in the storm, with no one to keep it under control. Tortuga shouted in fear and moved to somehow aid the ship, but before he could do so, a huge piece of debris was flung from the depths and clonked him on the head.

The fossil Pokemon went limp, and the last thing he saw before the darkness claimed him was the Tranquility being blown toward an unknown destination, taking its passengers with it.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Some character development going on here – the best of which is Luke's obvious crush on the Kirlia. What do you think – should they pair up in the future, or will love be doomed to never blossom?**

**Anyway – what will the outcome of the terrible storm be? Will Team Fossil and their comrades get out alive? And what of Team Biosphere, still swimming for the Elemental Islets? Will they survive or perish?**

**Character requests and reviews are still as welcome as ever XD**

**See you soon, readers!**


	7. Murderer Versus Mother

**Who will win? Cruel sadism or nurturing love? The epic fight between the Life Stealer gang and Adrianna, Barn, and Elf – and another piece of this massive jigsaw I call a plot.**

**Megadracosaurus: At first I thought you were talking about Clawface. Now that's a match made in hell if you ask me. XD**

-.-.-.-.-.

Owls versus Life Stealers – it was a long shot, but definitely possible. It was two Flying-types against three Dark-types, and because said Flying-types mostly knew Psychic moves, some wit would have said it was more of a misfire. But they could win. They had to.

The other fight taking place was a fair one-on-one. But one, Clawface, could fly, was intensely brutal, and was more mobile. Adrianna, on the other hand, was permanently grounded, took time to make sure none of her attacks caused fatal damage, and was carrying a sleeping baby Ralts in one arm. …Yeah, not exactly the greatest of odds.

But the Gardevoir was a superb fighter. In fact, she used to be on a rescue team before she retired in order to raise her two children. Her husband, Lancelot of Team Knights, was still in action though, and whenever Adrianna was forced to fight, she thought of him to give her renewed strength.

"Aerial Ace!" Clawface screamed, streaking right towards her. "Psychic!" she replied, using her telekinetic powers to slow his progress down to a Slugma's pace. She stepped elegantly out of the way, then released her hold on the Fearow. He shot forward again, unable to stop and thus plowed into a large rock.

"Take that, murderer," she spat. "Didn't your mother ever teach you not to fight girls?" Clawface shook away the motes of light winking on the edges of his vision and gave her a lopsided grin. "She didn't teach me much, really. But at least she told me to kill efficiently and painlessly – it's only polite, you see."

He suddenly streaked forward again with a cry of "Drill Peck!" Adrianna narrowly dodged it and shifted Topaz's weight in her arm. Battling a Fearow with a two-month-old child in your arms – don't try it.

-.-.-.-.-.

While Clawface and Adrianna sparred, Barn, Elf, Rudy, Sylvester, and Shadepelt were in a fierce duel of their own. Barn and Elf's wings gave them a clear advantage, but their attacks were limited. Shadepelt was already taken out of the fight, having gotten too careless and subsequently hit in the face by Barn's Hypnosis. The other two were as fierce as ever.

"Night Slash!" called Sylvester, leaping into the air with claws glowing an ominous purple color. Barn dodged easily and responded with "Take Down!" The blow hit the cat-like Pokemon in the stomach, winding him and taking him momentarily down.

Rudy howled in rage and leapt forward with a Brick Break attack while Barn was still recovering from his Take Down's recoil. The Fighting-type attack wasn't very effective, but it did damage nonetheless. Barn hit the ground, and the Krokorok moved to take advantage.

"No you don't! Peck attack!" cried Elf, and flew to perch on Rudy's long snout, pecking him several times on the forehead. "OWOWOWOWOW! Get offa me!" Rudy roared. Sylvester got up just then and attempted a Slash attack, which ended up clawing across Rudy's face instead. "Stupid cat!" Rudy yelled, wincing (the claws had raked at his bad eye, so at least he wasn't blind now). "Brick Break!"

The attack took the form of a roundhouse punch, smashing into Sylvester and then curving around to hit Elf as well. Both hit the ground in a daze. "Let's finish you off, runt! Crunch!" Elf wiggled futilely as Rudy came closer, jaws open wide and ready to bite down.

Meanwhile, Barn had gotten to his talons and saw Elf's plight. With a stroke of his wings, he was up in the air, already preparing a Hypnosis attack on Rudy. But with a yowl, something slammed into him, forcing him to the ground.

Shadepelt pinned both of his wings, stopping him from escaping. His heart filled with terror as the Purrloin grinned hungrily down at him. "Surprise," she hissed, before reaching with her jaws to rip out his throat.

-.-.-.-.-.

Lancelot had never expected to wake up. When him and the others of Team Knights had been overwhelmed by the Abyssal Raiders on Deepdark Island, home of the almost extinct Ocean Faction, the Gallade had thought that they were dead for sure.

How had it happened? Well, Team Knights had been recruited to save one of the Desert Faction, a Growlithe named Cliff. According to the Guardians, he had one of the legendary Shards in his possession, and thus was of utmost importance when it came to stopping the natural disasters and saving the world.

It had gone wrong almost from the start. The _Bravery_ had reached DeepdarkIsland, only to capsize itself when it hit one of the sharp rocks projecting out of the turbulent waters surrounding it. Him, Fireclaw, and Arthur had managed to swim to shore, and were almost instantly ambushed by members of the Abyssal Raiders gang.

It was this villainous team that had captured young Cliff. Apparently, the Raiders were allied with the Life Stealers, the gang of criminals that populated the Dunedust Desert, where Team Knights was originally from. But the Raiders, consisting entirely of Water-types, had demolished them in their exhausted state.

But now, Lancelot's senses seemed to be coming back to him. He seemed to be lying down on dried seaweed, beneath which was hard rock. It was cold and damp, with the faint stench of rotten kelp. He groaned softly and shifted slightly, opening his glued-together eyes with a crack.

"They're wakin' up," a harsh voice growled. "I can see that, thank you," said a voice with an odd accent and an air of authority. "I am not _estupido_, you know."

The voices didn't bode well for the Gallade, who forced himself to wake up and see what he was up against. He opened his eyes fully – and wished he hadn't.

He was in a dark, dank, and very large cell. His teammates, Fireclaw and Arthur, were sprawled out beside him on similar seaweed beds. The Charmeleon and Escavalier were both looking worse for wear, but were alive and stirring. A Growlithe was sitting in the far corner, presumably Cliff, the one they had been charged with saving. _And now we need saving… from them,_ Lancelot thought grimly.

Facing them, with their backs to the cell door, was a trio of Water-types that would have given a Haunter nightmares. The largest was a Gyarados with a multitude of silver rings wrapped around his whiskers. Then there was a battle-scarred Sharpedo, balancing on his bottom fin and glaring daggers at the rescue team. Finally, there was a Frillish wearing a frilly pink shawl around her neck. Although she was admittedly pretty, madness danced in her eyes.

"Ooh, he's even more handsome when he's awake," the Frillish cooed, giggling girlishly and winking at him. Lancelot shivered uncomfortably and turned to the Gyarados. "What do you want?" he asked his captor.

"'What do you want'?" the Gyarados rumbled. "Is that really the way to treat us, when we were the ones who spared your _indigno_ lives? The _indecente_ thing to do would be to end them."

The Sharpedo growled deeply under his breath. "Something you should have let my Carvanha Squad do," he rasped, teeth clicking together with each syllable.

"_Silencio_, General," the Gyarados cautioned. "They are prisoners, they are just as dead." The Sharpedo growled again and reluctantly said nothing. _That must be General Fang,_ thought Lancelot. _He's wanted by the Guardians as badly as the infamous Fearow Clawface._

By now, Arthur and Fireclaw were awake and listening to the words of the Abyssal Raiders before them. "What is it you want with us, scoundrels?" Arthur declared, holding up his lances. "It is of great dishonor to ambush and then imprison a knight! Release us at once, Abyssal Raider scum!"

The Gyarados laughed. "I'm sure, O Great Knight," he said mockingly. "But as you can see, we _Raiders Abisales_ will gladly do it if we find it necessary!" The other two joined in with their own laugher – guttural rasps and high-pitched giggles.

"Now, as you are now my prisoners, it would do for me to make the _necesario_ introductions!" the massive sea serpent continued. "I am El Nino, leader of the Abyssal Raiders. _Mi aliados_ are General Fang and Lady Sapphire." He gestured to them with a flourish of his tail.

General Fang nodded curtly. Sapphire giggled again and waved daintily.

El Nino turned to leave, opening the cell door with his tail. "I have nothing more I wish to say for now, so I request for you to sit and wait like good prisoners while we figure out what to do with you, _comprende_?" He then slithered out of the cell and down the corridor, leaving his allies to follow. The Sharpedo slowly hopped after him, turning around at the entrance to wait for Sapphire.

Smirking, the lovely Frillish floated over to Lancelot and whispered suggestively, "Maybe when I kill you, I'll keep your head and mount it on my wall. Then I'll have something to look at from time to time…"

Lancelot recoiled in disgust, the Growlithe Cliff retreated farther into the corner, and Arthur looked outraged. Sapphire burst into a giggling fit – the laugh was hysterical and had more than a hint of madness within. With one last wink, she floated out the door and out of sight, the sound of her giggles echoing ominously back down the hall.

After General Fang shut the door with a clang and followed, Fireclaw spat contemptuously, "Necrophile." The Charmeleon's flame blazed brighter, allowing his team to see more clearly in the darkness.

"Vile strumpet!" Arthur growled, hefting a lance in front of him. "I would never dare strike a lady, yet that wastrel is not such! She is a demon!" Lancelot gestured for the Escavalier to calm down. It wouldn't pay for him to vent his anger out when there was no escape.

All the Gallade could think about was his family. _Where are Gaby and Topaz now? Are they safe?_ Lancelot wondered. _And dearest Adrianna, how is she faring?_

-.-.-.-.-.

She was faring terribly.

Adrianna narrowly ducked a thrust of Clawface's deadly beak. Her grip on Topaz momentarily slipped, and she hastily brought her other arm up in time to catch him and hold him tightly against her chest. _How much longer can I fight like this?_

The Fearow screamed "Aerial Ace!" once more, and shot toward her like a feathered spear. "Thunderbolt!" Adrianna said desperately, raising an arm and shooting a massive bolt of lightning from her fingertips. The blast sent hundreds of volts jittering through Clawface's body, and he collapsed on the ground in a smoking pile of feathers.

Thunder rumbled across the sky as storm clouds moved in from the southwest. Adrianna allowed herself a moment of rest as she witnessed Barn and Elf's danger. The Purrloin, Shadepelt, was standing over the much larger Noctowl, about to tear at him.

"Thunderbolt!" she screamed again, hitting Shadepelt in the back of the head. She wailed as the lightning zapped her, then collapsed as well. Rudy and Sylvester hung back with wary scowls on their faces as Barn picked himself up, and Elf frantically backed away from the two criminals, thankful to be out of her earlier situation.

"We have to go!" Elf called. "A storm is coming, and I'm getting a bad feeling about it!" Barn nodded and turned to Adrianna with a question in his eyes.

She read it easily and answered, "I know this place better than you two do. There's a cave dug into the mountains just a kilometer past the housing district. We'll shelter there."

But then Sylvester leapt onto the attack, startling Rudy – direct confrontations were _his_ thing. "Sand-Attack!" he snarled, lashing his tail and sending sand flying into Adrianna's face. She cried out, startled and blinded. The little Ralts fell from her grasp and tumbled to the ground.

The Gardevoir cleared the sand out of her eyes and instantly saw him lying helplessly there just a few meters away. "Topaz!" she screamed, instantly reaching out for him. But a talon plunged down from out of nowhere and grabbed the Ralts tightly, halting her in her tracks.

"No, no, no," Clawface snarled, feathers scorched and blackened as he stood over the baby, now fully awake and too frightened to make any sound. Barn and Elf spread their wings to attack, but the Fearow's talons tightened their grip, prompting a strangled cry from Topaz. They reluctantly lowered their wings.

"That's much better," Sylvester smirked. "Now, just tell us where you can find your daughter and her Shard, and we'll let the little one go."

Adrianna bit her lip, not liking her choices – tell them where Gaby was, or refuse and have Topaz perish. She sighed, and opened her mouth to speak.

"Fine," she said wearily. "Gaby and the fossil Pokemon went to Diamond Island."

Clawface let a slow, satisfied smile cross his beak. "See, was that so hard?" he asked innocently. But his talons tightened ever tighter on Topaz's little body, this time with murderous intent.

"No!" Elf cried. The Fearow just grinned as Topaz choked out a wail. Barn glanced fearfully at Adrianna, expecting to see her stricken and helpless. But no, she didn't look anything like that – instead, her already red eyes were blazing.

"Psychic!" she cried, letting loose with all the power within her. Clawface looked at her with confusion, and then rapidly growing panic as his body was lifted up and off the ground. He yelled in fear and flailed around uselessly as Adrianna suspended him there.

To add to the comedy of the situation, Topaz suddenly laughed and clapped his little hands at the display. Rudy bit back a chuckle, despite himself.

And then he was forced to bite back a cry of pain as Adrianna flung Clawface into him and Sylvester. The three of them were all left unconscious from the impact.

The Gardevoir picked up her child and snuggled him in her arms. Topaz snuggled his mother back and fell asleep once more. "Come on!" Adrianna said as the first drops of rain began to speckle the ground. "I'll lead you two to the cave, and we can wait out the storm."

The four Pokemon dashed off, not willing to be caught in the storm that, unbeknownst to Adrianna, had already caught her daughter.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Fireclaw belongs to Megadracosaurus. Cliff belongs to TriMaplenut. El Nino, Lancelot, Arthur, Sapphire, and General Fang all belong to me.**

**I am really, really looking forward to writing more of Lady Sapphire. She's probably the best villain I've ever come up with in my life. My inspiration stems from The Gentleman Xerneas' "Unovan Pokemon Guide", which states that female Frillish are sadistic and cruel, but also romantic at heart. For some reason, I like the idea of a torturer with a soft spot – and I'm also kind of partial to Frillish, I might add.**

**Plus, who doesn't love a cruel, sly, ****_flirty_**** villain? XD**

**Characters and reviews please, and see ya soon!**


	8. Separated!

**In this chapter, we not only see what happens to Adrianna and her two new friends, but we also take a look at what happened to Team Fossil and their companions…**

**The adventure continues!**

**Frozen Archer: Oh snap, you're right! I've fixed it now, don't worry.**

-.-.-.-.-.

The rain was pelting down pretty hard when Adrianna, Barn, Elf, and Topaz made it to the cave. It was a big, gaping hole in the side of a mountain, large enough to shelter a family of Wailord plus one Bidoof. It was dark and chilly, but at least it was dry.

"This cave should keep us safe until the storm passes," Adrianna said, sitting down a ways from the entrance. She adjusted the blanket around Topaz, who was peacefully sleeping through the drumming rain and rumbling thunder. Barn and Elf huddled together for warmth, fluffing up their feathers and shivering slightly to repel the cold.

The four of them sat there in silence, simply listening to the sound of the rain and wind. It seemed to worsen as time went on, until it sounded like an absolute monsoon was going on out there. Barn flew to the entrance, then returned with the report that he couldn't see a thing through the falling water.

Adrianna grew very worried. _If the storm is indeed this bad, then what has happened to Gaby and the others? Were they caught in the storm?_ The Gardevoir took a deep breath and forced herself to be calm.

Two full hours passed, and the storm didn't seem to be letting up one bit. Adrianna had fallen into a kind of half-sleep, only to be jarred awake when Topaz woke up and moved in her arms. He gave a tiny yawn and stretched his arms wide (or as wide as they could reach, which wasn't very), making the blanket rustle.

Barn's head snapped up at the sound. He stared intently at the little Ralts and the fabric he was covered in, knowing that something sounded off. His ears, indeed powerful even for a Noctowl, heard that something wasn't right with the blanket. He picked up a thick rustling sound, as if there were many blankets instead of just one.

"Excuse me, ma'am," he said to Adrianna, walking up to her. "But can I see this blanket, please?" Confusion swam in the Gardevoir's eyes, but she nodded anyway. Barn grabbed the blanket in his talons and pulled part of it up to his face, examining it closely. Even Topaz looked bewildered.

It took a long time, but the Noctowl finally spoke. "Where exactly did you get this blanket?" he asked, and Adrianna thought about it for a few seconds. "It used to belong to my daughter when she was Topaz's age. She held onto it until he was born, then gave it to him."

Barn squinted harder at the blanket, rubbing it with his talons. It took a while, but he finally found what he suspected to be going on – one corner of the blanket had split in half, without any visible tear marks.

"There's two blankets!" he exclaimed, showing Adrianna the corner. "They must have been sewn together." Elf hopped over and indeed saw that this was the case.

But Adrianna still looked confused. "What does it matter?" she asked. "Maybe Gaby just did that for extra warmth."

Barn shook his head. "Ma'am, can you remember the original size of the blanket from when you first got it for your daughter?" There was a long pause as Adrianna indeed thought about it. Hesitantly, she answered, "It was always that size. The same length, width, and thickness."

The Noctowl snapped his talons. "Then it isn't two blankets – it's the original, but it was somehow split in half!"

Instead of seeing his point, Elf and Adrianna were more confused than ever. "Why in the name of Arceus would someone do that?" Elf asked. For the life of her, she couldn't figure out why the owner of this blanket would halve it in such a way, only to put it back together.

Pointing with a talon, Barn indicated the split corner. As they looked closer, they could see the tiniest bit of something poking out from between the two halves.

"What could that be?" Adrianna asked. Barn answered her with another question, "Do you mind if we find out?"

The Gardevoir nodded and replied, "Yes, I can always sew it back together again." Barn nodded, then used his talon to carefully pry the two halves apart.

Slowly, the two blankets ripped apart neatly to reveal what had been hidden between them. It was a large map of what appeared to be a series of tunnels. At the bottom of the map was what seemed like a cave, which split into a maze of tunnels before finally leading to a small cavern with a large red 'X' slashing across it.

"Could this be a treasure map?" Elf asked excitedly, leaning over Barn's shoulder to see. "I think so," her friend replied. "It must have been hidden in that blanket for a reason, as if the owner was trying to keep it a secret."

Adrianna took the map, looking it over. "But why would Gaby have such a thing?" she asked, almost to herself. "It's not like she was ever interested in exploring or even joining a rescue team." She traced with her finger the tunnels, trying to figure the maze out. As she wondered, her finger gradually went in the opposite direction, down the map and into the cave at the bottom. The size and shape of the cave made her blink. A realization came to her.

Then it was as if Elf came to the same conclusion. "You think the cave on the map… is this cave, right here?" Barn thought about it, then shrugged. "I don't know," he responded. "The map looks pretty old. If I had to make a guess, about a decade or two. The treasure might still be here!"

He caught Adrianna's reluctant look and continued, "The storm might be here for a while," he told her, and a flash of lightning from the entrance proved his point. "There's really no harm in investigating and seeing if there's actually a treasure in this cave."

Topaz was on the floor playing with his blankets. His foot caught on one, causing him to slip and tumble to Adrianna's side. He got up and smiled, clearly having enjoyed the experience. After a moment, Adrianna bit her lip and gathered him in her arms, wrapping him in the blankets again.

"Alright," she said with a nod. She stood up and handed the map back to Barn. "Let's find this treasure while we wait for the storm to end."

The two owls nodded, and led the way deeper into the cave, not seeing the Honchkrow that was watching them from the entrance…

-.-.-.-.-.

Clawface got up with a groan, instantly noticing the rain and wind that lashed him. He no longer felt the heat from the Thunderbolt, but his feathers were still scorched and he was still in pain. He also felt like a wet towel, with all the water soaking his feathers. Shivering, he shook some out, splashing the other three. They didn't wake up.

The Fearow gritted his beak and looked around. Him and the Life Stealers were alone with only the water pouring down to keep them company. To make matters worse, he had lost the fledglings, the two owl Pokemon that were supposed to be able to help him make it to the treasure rumored to be in the area.

He glanced back down at the Life Stealers and shook them. They still didn't respond. Snorting, he began to drag them toward what seemed like a rock outcropping on the side of the mountain, which looked like it would provide good shelter from the rain. As soon as they woke up and dried off, they would go to Diamond Island and find the Shard.

-.-.-.-.-.

Out at sea, to the west of the continent, the storm had already passed. In a part of the ocean just north of the ruined Diamond Island, a small raft bobbed along on the shore, amidst several pieces of debris that had come from the island as well. A small blue Pokemon stirred, then groaned and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.

Cobalt tiredly looked around, noting the bright blue sky and stringy white cirrus clouds floating up in the yonder. "So the storm's passed," he said loudly to himself – he was indeed still doing so to make him feel less alone – "and I've survived! Take that, Kyogre!" The Riolu grinned and instantly felt wide awake. He was that thrilled to have come out of the terrible storm alive.

He idly looked to his right and saw a long, flat piece of driftwood that looked vaguely like an oar. Inspiration coming to him at that moment, Cobalt reached out and plucked the wood out of the water.

Soon he was rowing due north, cheerfully whistling a sea shanty his father had taught him. In his jubilation, he totally forgot the sorrow of losing his friend Terra to the earthquake, or even the fact that there was an earthquake. The sheer calmness of the ocean scenery and his own relief at being alive distracted Cobalt for the moment.

He had just finished whistling his tune for the fourth time when he caught sight of something floating in the distance. A dim pulse pounded in his chest when he saw them, goading him to steer in that direction.

As before, Cobalt knew to trust the pulse, and thus turned his raft around and rowed toward the objects. And it was a good thing he did – when he got close enough, his eyes widened in shock as he saw that they were Pokemon!

Rowing with a new urgency, Cobalt rapidly approached the two thanks to a favorable current in the water. There were two of them – a Kirlia and a Victini – and they were sprawled out on a particularly large piece of driftwood.

Cobalt was surprised and worried to see these two young ones floating around in the ocean. _Are they alright? Are they hurt? Are they dead? _he asked himself, but immediately dispelled the last question. The Riolu could sense that they were alive. But he had to help them somehow!

It was very tricky maneuvering his raft to align with the driftwood, especially because the current was constantly changing its mind. Finally, Cobalt got his raft to bump sides with the floating wood, and he reached over to grasp the Victini. With a mighty effort, he pulled the Fire-and-Psychic type aboard his raft.

The Kirlia took a bit more effort, but he finally got her aboard as well. Taking a long, deep breath to relax, Cobalt began to row again toward the Elemental Islets. He knew that there were a few good-spirited Pokemon on those islands that would be willing to help these two.

Taking out an Oran Berry from his treasure bag and munching it, Cobalt turned his gaze toward the north and rowed on, determined to reach the Elemental Islets.

-.-.-.-.-.

Tortuga woke up suddenly, in response to a nudge on his side, as well as a splitting headache. He got to his flippers, noting with pleasant surprise that he was on a small, sandy beach. The sun beat down on him, warming him up and re-energizing him. The Prototurtle Pokemon felt strength return to his weary flippers.

He looked to his left to see whom had nudged him, and met the eyes of a young Glaceon. The Ice-type looked at him without emotion, although there was the tiniest bit of relief deep within those eyes.

Upon seeing him awake, the Glaceon walked away, further down the beach. Curious, Tortuga followed her. As he did so, he tried to remember how he had gotten on this pleasant land. He racked his brain, but couldn't remember for the life of him. _Oh, well,_ he thought, _I won't worry about it now._

He paused and came out of his thoughts when he saw the Glaceon stop and examine something lying on the beach. When he got closer, he ignored the Ice-type's appropriately icy glare and joined her in examining the thing on the beach.

With a start, Tortuga realized that it was a Pokemon. He guessed that it had washed up on the beach, just like he assumed himself to have done. He looked the Pokemon over and recognized it as a male Archen. The fossil Pokemon looked vaguely familiar, but Tortuga couldn't remember for the life of him who it was.

The Glaceon gently kicked the Archen's side. There was no response. Frowning slightly, she tried again. And again, no response. She kicked him a third time, this time harder. The Archen didn't even twitch.

"Is he… dead?" Tortuga gulped, looking at the Glaceon. She didn't answer, a flash of worry stealing into her otherwise emotionless eyes. She held an ear to his chest and seemed to relax. Tortuga took that to mean that the Archen was still alive.

But he got a surprise when the Glaceon picked the Archen up in her mouth and tossed him onto her back. "What are you doing?" Tortuga asked concernedly. The Glaceon sighed and answered reluctantly, "I'm taking this Pokemon to see the healer. He needs medical attention quickly."

Tortuga mulled this over in his mind and nodded. "All right then. Can I come with you? I'm kind of worried about the little guy myself."

The Glaceon sighed again and flicked her tail, gesturing for him to follow.

-.-.-.-.-.

The coast near Seaside Village was getting hammered by the storm, with waves pounding on the beach and throwing up massive amounts of seaweed, dead Water Pokemon, and Magikarp bones, among other things.

But the largest two things that washed up on the coast were still alive. With a startled yell, Alphonse found himself riding the crest of the largest wave yet. And then he was flung high into the air with an even louder yell, landing with a tremendous crash onto the ground, where the grass met the sand.

Evelyn landed beside him, somewhat more elegantly. Thanks to her serpentine shape, she wasn't damaged as badly upon her crash-landing. Alphonse, though, groaned in pain and staggered to his tentacles. "Well, _that _stunk," he muttered, spitting out seaweed.

"Wait!" exclaimed Evelyn. "Where's Terra and Cenric?" Alphonse looked around, and he felt a huge flash of rare panic as he noticed that the Charmander and Buizel hadn't washed up with them.

"We must have gotten separated sometime during the storm," the Tentacruel said, voice tight with worry. "Oh, this is bad… Terra would have never survived that! She's only a kid, and if her flame was doused… oh, no… oh, no…" Alphonse never felt more distressed in his life as he wrung two of his tentacles together nervously.

"Please, Alphonse!" Evelyn said, shouting over the roar of the waves, rain, and wind. "We can't panic. We have to believe that Terra and Cenric are alright without us, OK?"

Slowly, the Tentacruel calmed down and nodded. "You're right," he said finally. "I can't just give up on them like that. We have to hope that they're safe." His Dragonair friend nodded and smiled at his positive change in attitude.

"That's better," Evelyn said. "Now, we should really look to get out of this storm and find some place to rest!" A massive wave slammed into the beach just behind them, punctuating her statement. They backed away from the beach, out of reach of the waves.

"If we stay here, we could get washed back out to sea," Alphonse said seriously. Evelyn nodded and looked around, hoping to find shelter. She suddenly stopped and squinted at something through the rain, which Alphonse took note of. He looked in the same direction and tried to see what she was seeing, to no avail.

"What's over there that's so interesting?" Alphonse asked, wiping off a pile of rotten kelp that had landed on his head. Evelyn pointed into the distance with her tail, toward the mountains that rose to scrape the stormy sky. At just that moment, a flash of lightning illuminated them.

"Where there are mountains, there's shelter!" the Dragonair yelled over the din of the storm. "Come on, Alphonse! We'll be safe if we can find ourselves a cave!"

The two friends hurried away from the turbulent coast, trying not to imagine where Terra and Cenric might have ended up – and trying not to think that the most likely place was the afterlife.

-.-.-.-.-.

"Cenric, wake up!" Terra said urgently, shaking the Buizel. They were clinging to a pathetic piece of driftwood that they had landed near when the storm had started. But now, they were leaving the storm behind them as they floated into smoother waters. Terra's tail flame was weak, and smaller than usual, but at least it was still burning. She would survive.

The Buizel finally woke with a moan, sitting up and stretching out painfully, groping for his locket with one of his hands. "Where are we?" he muttered, voice clogged with drowsiness. Terra pointed at what she wanted him to see. "Cenric, there's land ahead! I think it's the Elemental Islets! We're safe!"

Cenric snapped to attention, fully awake now. "Then what are we waiting for? Paddle!" The two friends crouched down to start paddling for the land in the distance. It looked close, which only made them paddle even harder.

As their paddling began to slow down and they became tired, they saw that the land was only a little bit closer. Taking a brief rest to stretch their aching arms, Terra asked, "Cenric, where did Miss Evelyn and Mister Alphonse go?"

He shook his head wearily. "I don't know. Maybe they were separated from us in the storm. But we can't think of them now, we need to get to that island. Then maybe we can look for them." Terra nodded at her friend's words and began to paddle once more.

Finally, after another ten minutes of paddling, the water became shallow enough for them to wade towards shore. Terra frowned to herself – she didn't think the Elemental Islets had lots of jagged rocks coming up out of the water around them. After all, it was supposed to be a safe place, right?

Shaking off those thoughts, she took her first steps onto the rocky beach. The island, now that she got a good look at it, was dominated by cliffs and rocks. They were currently in a crescent-shaped cove, with rocks making up the majority of the beach instead of sand. It didn't look like a friendly place at all, but Terra had no choice but to settle for resting here.

Suddenly, Cenric tugged on her arm and pointed to the other side of the beach. Terra's eyes widened at what she saw – there was a boat lying on its side on the rocks over there!

"Let's go investigate!" Cenric said excitedly. "Maybe we can use the boat to get home!" Before he could run toward it, though, Terra held him back and said uncertainly, "Um, what if there are still Pokemon on it? What if they don't like us taking their boat?"

The Buizel rolled his eyes. "Come on, it's clearly shipwrecked here. I doubt there's anyone alive on it. Now let's go take a look! Maybe there's treasure on board!"

Terra grinned at the thought of treasure and raced after Cenric, her bandana flapping in the wind. They reached the wreck in just a few minutes, and stared up at it in awe. It was a big boat, but it was definitely not seaworthy. The mast had snapped off and was nowhere to be seen, the steering wheel was similarly missing, and there were several planks ripped away from the deck and hull. It was more likely than ever that the passengers had all perished.

More curious about the boat now that she saw it up close, the Charmander walked around to the other side of the boat. The ship was slightly tilted toward the ground on this side, so it was easy for her to see the faded name painted on the side of the hull. It read, _Tranquility_.

But just at that moment, Cenric's startled shout pierced the air, and Terra ran around to the bow of the _Tranquility_. What she saw startled her into gasping loudly.

A large Pokemon was lying in the boat's shadow, sprawled out as if dead. It was covered in yellow feathers and had four blue-colored wings with claws on them. The unknown bird was very scary-looking, and unlike anything Terra had ever seen before.

"What is he?" she whispered, hoping that the freakish Pokemon was dead. Those teeth and claws didn't exactly reassure her that it was a vegetarian.

Cenric replied in a thoughtful murmur. "I think he's one of those fossil Pokemon that my parents told me about. They said that fossil Pokemon are supposed to be extinct, and that they aren't very friendly, except to their fellow fossils."

Terra cocked her head, confused. "Extinct?" she asked, tasting the unfamiliar word in her mouth. "They're not supposed to exist any more," Cenric told her. "They're all supposed to be dead."

On the word 'dead', Terra suddenly witnessed the Pokemon's eyes snap open.

With a terrible screech, the fossil Pokemon leapt to its feet and whirled on the duo. "RUUUUUN!" Cenric screamed as they sped up the beach and further inland. Him and Terra were hoping to reach the safety of the cliffs, where there would be plenty of big boulders to hide behind, or narrow crevices to hide in.

Terra ran even faster when she heard another horrible roaring shriek from behind them. She closed her eyes, expecting to feel the fossil Pokemon's terrible claws on her tail at any second…

-.-.-.-.-.

**The Glaceon who has yet to give her name belongs to thesecretkeeper11.**

**Team Fossil isn't dead! They've only been separated and scattered all over the western ocean. But Team Biosphere is similarly separated, and it looks like a few of their members are already meeting up with other characters.**

**Also, where does Adrianna's treasure map lead, and why does Clawface want Barn and Elf for his own purposes?**

**Review, characters are still welcome, and see you for the next chapter!**


	9. Dangers in the Cave

**Barn, Elf, Adrianna, and Topaz are following their treasure map deep into the mountains! But just what secrets does it hold, and what, if anything, guards such a treasure?**

**Prepare to find out!**

-.-.-.-.-.

"Just what does the map say, again?" Elf pressed as they followed the light of Adrianna's torch. Barn sighed and replied exasperatedly, "This is the third time you've asked. The answer hasn't changed."

Earlier, when they had first started their spelunking expedition, Barn and Elf hadn't been bothered at all by the dark – being owl Pokemon, they found the darkness very comforting. But Adrianna was very unnerved as the light was sucked out drop by drop, and reached down to grab a stalk of a flammable cave plant that she found growing nearby. With a whispered "Thunderbolt," she caused the plant to burst into flames, creating a very effective torch and momentarily blinding the two owls.

And now, as they walked deeper into the tunnel by following Barn's instructions, Elf was nervously pestering her friend as to what lurked within. "Please, Barn, it'll make me feel better if I know for certain what we're up against," she pleaded.

With a weary sigh, Barn glanced down once more at the map. "OK. From what I can see here, the tunnel goes perfectly straight until we reach this wall of… what looks like mist? Anyway, after the mist, there's a fork in the tunnel, and we're supposed to take the left one. Then there's a Zubat nest, and farther down, there's what looks like a Drilbur warren. Then the tunnel forks again, and we have to take the right one, because the left one is circled three times and marked 'monster lair, do not enter'. After we turn right, we travel through the winding tunnel until we exit and reach the cavern at the end with the big 'X' slashing across it."

He cleared his throat and waited for a reply after his lengthy monologue. At first, there was only silence. Then Elf said in a strangled voice, "Doesn't sound too bad." Barn looked down at his friend and saw that she was shaking madly and her beak was chattering with fear.

"Don't scare the poor dear, Barn," Adrianna chastised gently from behind him. She shifted Topaz in her arm and held the torch a little higher. "Hey, she asked," he protested. "I'm only telling her what's on the map. Speaking of which, we should be coming up to the wall of mist at any second."

They rounded a bend in the tunnel, and stopped dead.

There was indeed a wall of fog blocking their progress. It seemed to be a simple mist, nothing more than a bunch of suspended water particles, but when Elf tried to proceed, she found her progress halted completely by it.

"OK, that's weird," she commented, trying a Peck attack. She bounced right off the mist and toppled to the ground, holding her beak in pain. "Ow…" she muttered, her voice muffled by her wings.

"That _is_ strange," Barn muttered, putting the map aside and holding a wing up to the wall. Adrianna held her torch near it, as if trying to reveal some hidden secret. The mist seemed to flinch away from the light and heat, but otherwise didn't budge.

"Extrasensory," the Noctowl said, and his feathered ear tufts glowed. They send out waves of psychic energy that rippled across the mist, causing it to shift in waves. Then they started hearing whispers and murmurs, as if the mist was alive and in pain. The moment Barn stopped with his attack, the mist stilled and the voices faded.

"What was that?" Elf asked, sitting up again. Barn stepped back and smiled faintly. "I think I know. Elf, can you use Foresight on that fog?"

The Hoothoot facepalmed and muttered, "Why didn't I think of that?" She hopped up to the mist and fired twin beams of red light from her eyes that struck the wall. The beams spread until the entire wall was covered in red light.

The mist faded and cleared completely, revealing a large group of Gastly. Their eyes bugged upon realizing that their ruse had been discovered, and quickly fled into the darkness when Adrianna held up her torch again.

"Should have known it would be Ghost-types," Barn said, unfolding the map. "And… yep, there's the fork! Come on, let's take the left path. Next stop, Zubat nest!"

Elf rolled her crimson eyes. "Lovely," she said sarcastically, but hopped after him, Adrianna following close behind.

The next half hour of the journey was very uneventful, just more walking to be done as they wound their way deeper into the cave. Each Pokemon was alone with his or her thoughts. Elf wondered blissfully what the treasure would be like – she always imagined hidden treasure to take the form of piles of gold and jewels, stuff that would make you as rich as a king or queen.

Barn, too, wondered about the treasure. But his thoughts were mostly about the Guardians and where they could find them. So far, he was no closer to finding out how to get to them and warn them of the Darkfeather gang. Then he had a trivial thought – what if this treasure they were looking for would help them find the Guardians? It was something he would have to think long and hard about.

Adrianna thought about how well the rest of her family was doing. The storm that was probably still going on didn't help her nerves, and she was endlessly worrying if Gaby was all right. _Has she made it safely through that storm? And what about Lancelot?_ She knew he was an explorer, and worked with the Guardians, so was almost always busy rescuing some helpless Pokemon or other. But was he safe?

As for Topaz… well, who knew what kind of thoughts were running through _his_ little head?

Soon, as they followed the map, the quartet came across a huge cavern, just like the one on the map. It consisted of a gigantic chasm that stretched on seemingly forever, and so deep that it gave way to pitch blackness. The only means of crossing it if you weren't a Flying Pokemon was a natural bridge made of rock, very narrow and very treacherous. Although it looked strong, none of them knew how old or how fragile it was.

"Barn, I thought you said 'Zubat nest'?" Elf hissed at him, but Barn silenced her and pointed up. Far above them, nestled amongst the stalactites, were more than ten thousand sleeping Zubat and Golbat. A few were indeed awake, swooping around and snatching Spinarak from their webs when they could find them.

"We can keep moving as long as we're very quiet," Barn cautioned. "They won't attack if they aren't disturbed by anything. Remember, they can't see well, so they rely on their hearing to get around." Adrianna nodded and made sure that Topaz was content for the moment. The happier he was, the more likely he would stay silent.

Elf hopped off the edge of the chasm and took a few wingbeats forward, only for Barn to pull her back. "No, your wingbeats are too noisy," the Noctowl said. "Cross the bridge, and if you fall, _then_ you can use your wings. Got it?"

The Hoothoot nodded reluctantly, and then began to cross the bridge. Barn nodded for Adrianna to follow her, and the Gardevoir gulped with fear. Tightening her grip on Topaz, she took a few careful steps onto the bridge.

As they slowly moved across the rock bridge, Barn flew circles around them, muttering words of encouragement to them and making virtually no sound as he flapped his wings. Occasionally, a passing Zubat would hear them and swoop down to attempt a bite, but the Bat Pokemon were easily thrown aside each time by Barn's Extrasensory or Adrianna's Psychic.

They were about halfway across when Barn suddenly motioned for them to stop. Elf looked at him like he was crazy, but then saw that he was hovering in the air, not moving forward, tilting his head one way and then the other. The Hoothoot knew that he had heard something only he could, and silently assured a distressed Adrianna that it was fine. "He can hear something up ahead," she said. "We need to stop and be as quiet as possible while he tries to figure out what it is."

Meanwhile, Barn was trying to catch the sound that he had heard. It seemed to have come from inside the cavern, but it had sounded very far away. He rotated his head constantly as he scanned the chasm, trying to figure out where it had come from. _What was it? Where was it?_ Barn thought with frustration as he tried to pinpoint the sound again.

But wait, there it was again! It was a faint shriek, Barn was sure. He was also sure that it had come from the bottom of the chasm. He whispered from the side of his beak, "Something's down there. Keep walking, but try to be as silent as possible."

They began to move forward across the bridge once more, moving at a Slowpoke's pace as they tried to quiet their footsteps as much as possible. Adrianna looked around fearfully, asking herself what Barn had heard and if they should be worried about it.

Just as she opened her mouth, though, Elf's foot landed on the very edge of the bridge, and a section of stone broke off with a loud, echoing *crack!* Everyone froze as the rock fell down into the chasm, disappearing in just a few seconds.

Everyone looked up at the Zubat reflexively. The colony didn't seem to have been disturbed in the least. Breathing sighs of relief, the group continued forward once more –

And were halted in their tracks as an incredibly loud, continuously echoing, ear-shattering _screech_ roared up from the depths of the chasm.

The Zubat and Golbat above completely lost it. They flew up in a swarm of blue and purple, squeaking and chattering madly as they were scared out of their wits. In their confusion, the entire ten-thousand-strong swarm dove at Barn, Elf, Adrianna, and Topaz, mistaking them for the source of the noise and ready to make them pay for it.

-.-.-.-.-.

Evelyn and Alphonse had indeed found a cave. It was a very large one, much more than big enough to shelter them as they waited for the storm to end. As they waited at the entrance, watching the rain pour down, they used the opportunity to talk and plan.

"We're near Seaside Village, right?" Alphonse asked. Evelyn nodded and replied, "I think so. When the storm stops, we can try to find a boat to Vulcana City and tell them about the earthquake."

The Tentacruel glanced at her incredulously. "Wait, why would they care? Shouldn't we go directly to the Guardians?" Evelyn shook her head and explained, "If we ask for the location of the island, they most likely either won't tell us or brand us as suspicious Pokemon. After all, the island's location is supposed to be a strict secret except for the rescue teams that come and go from there."

Alphonse lashed a tentacle, the Tentacruel's version of a finger snap. "Alright, then we should go see the mayor. If we tell him Diamond Island was destroyed, he'll want the Guardians to know about it."

Evelyn nodded and responded, "Precisely. The best I can figure is that the Guardians will probably want us there in person for questioning. A rescue team might ferry us there to their secret island and we can warn them about the natural disasters."

As Alphonse was about to reply, a strange noise came from the back of the cavern, audible even over the heavy rain. Both of them instinctively whirled around and stared into the blackness before them.

"What was that?" Alphonse asked after a tense moment. "I don't know," the Dragonair replied, "but that storm will be here a while. If whatever causing that noise is dangerous, it'll be a danger to us until we can get out when the storm ends."

The two friends shared a look. "Investigate it?" Evelyn asked with a slight grin. "You bet," Alphonse replied, and the two wandered deeper into the cave.

-.-.-.-.-.

The vast cavern was complete chaos.

Zubat and Golbat flew everywhere in a huge, whirling vortex of wings and fangs, surrounding the quartet of spelunkers. Every so often, ten or twelve of the Bat Pokemon would emerge from the midst of the colony and attack, but they were always beaten back by a combination of Pecks, Psychics, Thunderbolts, and more.

The three combatants were beginning to tire the twentieth time this happened. "How much longer can we keep this up?" Elf asked as she kicked a Zubat away. "We're going to run out of energy long before they run out of interest!"

Adrianna rapidly sent out a Thunderbolt, electrocuting a dozen Zubat at once. They fell lifelessly down into the chasm as she replied, "We can't lose! Not when I have a family to take care of!" She hurled another Thunderbolt at a Golbat that tried approaching, frying its wings and sending it plummeting downwards as well.

A series of loud, harsh clicks suddenly rang through the din of squeaks and shrieks. From above dove a huge, purple Crobat, angry as well and eager to get revenge on those who had disturbed its rest. Knowing how powerful the Poison-and-Flying-type would be, all three Pokemon faced it and took aim, ready to bring it down together.

That was when another screech blasted up from the chasm, sending the colony around them into another frenzy. But this time, the Zubat, Golbat, and even the Crobat turned tail and fled deeper into the cavern, disappearing and leaving the area empty in only a matter of seconds.

"Could someone please tell me what that thing thinks its doing?" Adrianna asked tiredly, referring to the unknown beast. Elf peered over the side of the bridge and gulped, "More importantly, can someone please tell me what it is and what it wants?"

Barn cocked his head again, hearing a different sound. Faintly, he could pick up the sound of something striking the wall of the chasm, steadily growing louder. He realized with a flash of fear what it was – it was the mysterious creature crawling up the side of the chasm. "I think we're about to find out," he whispered.

And then, from out of the blackness in front of them, the monster scuttled into view. Crawling up the side of the cliff face, it was huge and nimble, effortlessly scaling the rock and quickly approaching the top. It had massive ears and beady yellow eyes, as well as fearsome fangs and claws. Its wingspan was impressive, rivaling that of even the largest Crobat.

The monster climbed up over the edge of the cliff and turned to face them. It flared its gargantuan wings and screamed ferociously at the Pokemon, and Elf fearfully squealed its name – "NOIVERN!"

-.-.-.-.-.

**Huzzah, Noivern for the win!**

**Guys, guys, guys! I have three Absol requests. At least one of them is going to end up getting a species swap.**

**I know that you guys probably don't know what other readers are requesting, but please try to be more original and pick Pokemon like Surskit or Audino or Muk.**

**Speaking of which, you guys might be seeing some Pokemon of my own creation sometime soon! I'm going to first draw a few and post them on Deviantart, and then publish the chapter – so if a chapter is taking a while to upload, either I'm busy otherwise or I'm finishing a drawing. XD**

**Review, please! See you as soon as I can get a drawing done!**


	10. The Elemental Islets

**Because I'm pure evil, I'm going to let the confrontation in the previous chapter go un-confronted for now. Instead, let's take a quick peek at how Tortuga and Pteryx are faring!**

**If you may recall, Pteryx is still unconscious from his encounter with Clawface, and Tortuga seems to have acquired amnesia. That isn't good…**

**Transmorphic Wyvern: I literally cannot stop laughing. Nice Monster Hunter Destiny reference, too.**

**Frozen Archer: Yeah, I think your Absol's the one I'll switch. You don't have to think up an entirely new past for him, it fits the species I have in mind already.**

-.-.-.-.-.

Panting and huffing, Tortuga followed the Glaceon through the forest. He still had no idea where he was, how he had gotten here, or who the Eeveelution was. All he knew at the moment was that he was tired and no closer to answering any of his questions.

"How much farther?" he panted to the Glaceon, who kept walking straight ahead and didn't respond. The Tirtouga rolled his eyes at her silent demeanor and persisted in trying to keep pace with her. "Where are we, anyway?" he pressed, trying to get at least a little bit of information out.

The Glaceon sighed. "Fine, fine," she said. "I'm sorry for being so closed and rude. It's just that I haven't been in the best mood recently." Tortuga nodded understandably. He had met someone with a terrible temper not so long ago – _Wait. I have? Where and when?_

Tortuga pushed away his questions as the Glaceon started to speak again. "My name is Celosia. My friends call me Cell for short. I'm a wanderer."

The Prototurtle frowned. "You mean, you don't live in one place?" he asked, trying to clear out his muddled thoughts. It seemed that ever since he woke up that morning, his brain had been extremely cluttered. His head hurt, too.

"Yes, that's right," Celosia confirmed. "Ever since my family died in an avalanche, I decided to sever all ties from them and keep on the move. That's why I'm usually so icy towards Pokemon I meet."

His frown deepened. "Your family died? I'm sorry to hear that." Celosia just smiled sadly and left it at that. "Anyway, this is one of the Elemental Islets. It's called Fire Isle because it's the warmest of the three, but not by much."

Tortuga hazarded another question. "Where are we going, exactly?" Celosia stopped for a moment and pointed into the distance with a paw. "Just through this forest is the village on Fire Isle. There's a healer there that can take care of your friend," she added, nodding to the Archen still slumped on her back.

"My" – Tortuga began, about to state that he had no idea who the other fossil Pokemon was, but stopped just then when he found himself in doubt. He might have had an idea about who the Archen was, but he couldn't be sure. Troubled by all these confusing thoughts, Tortuga shook them away and concentrated on keeping up with Celosia.

But just then, the bushes rustled. Celosia froze and eyed the foliage warily. Tortuga shuffled behind her, worried as to what it might be. The foliage shook some more, harder this time, and three figures hopped out.

Tortuga squeaked in fear and instinctively covered his eyes with a flipper, but uncovered them again to look at the newcomers. There were two furry brown Pokemon that looked a lot like Celosia, but smaller. The larger one was as big as Celosia, and looked a little similar, but was pink and had big blue eyes. Ribbons streamed from the unfamiliar Pokemon's body.

"Hello, Cell!" chirped one of the smaller Pokemon. Tortuga suddenly remembered that it was called an Eevee. Celosia sighed and seemed to regain her icy attitude. "What do you want, Miranda?" she asked.

"We just want to see what you're up to!" squeaked the other Eevee. Celosia's stoic face didn't change as she addressed it, "I'm only taking this injured Pokemon to see the healer, Amanita. It's none of your concern."

The larger Pokemon that looked like Celosia stepped forward and said cheerfully, "Actually, it is! We're the resident rescue team around here, you know." She looked at Celosia knowingly, and the Glaceon just glared.

"This is a job that requires patience and perseverance, not to mention responsibility," she replied coolly. "It's not a job that I would trust to a _Fairy-type_."

The pink Pokemon stamped her paw on the ground. "That isn't fair! And we Fairy-types are better than the rest anyway. We can take down Dragon-types, for Arceus' sake!"

Celosia looked smug. "I hate to break it to you, but Ice-types like myself can also do that, just as easily. Just leave this to me, Okami, I have everything under control."

Okami looked outraged, as did Miranda and Amanita. "Fine!" Okami spat. "Next time you need Team Eevui, we won't be there to help you!" She stuck out her tongue and dashed back through the bushes, followed by the two Eevee.

"Stupid Sylveon…" Celosia muttered. Tortuga looked at her confusedly, and she noticed. "We don't get along. Never have," she explained briefly, not willing to talk about it any further.

Tortuga shrugged. Celosia continued down the path, and indeed it didn't take very long before they exited the forest and took their first steps onto a wide, grassy plain. In the very middle of the plain, about half a kilometer away, was an innocent-looking village. "We made it!" the fossil Pokemon exclaimed.

The Glaceon led him down to the village, which wasn't very large but seemed busy anyway. It reminded him of Seaside Village just a little bit, but it of course had a different atmosphere to it that he found very peaceful.

In minutes, they reached the healer's hut. Celosia peeked in through the curtains and came back with a disgusted expression on her face. "We have to wait out here," she told the Tirtouga, who said to himself, _I don't want to know._

Finally, a nauseous Gulpin came slithering out of the hut, his face a much brighter shade of green than the rest of his body. In his left hand, he was holding a bag of what Tortuga assumed to be medicine. He held another bag in his right, and Tortuga could guess what its contents were by the putrid smell emanating from it.

He quickly followed Celosia into the hut. It had a nice, calm feel to it, and it was mostly bare except for a medicine cabinet and a small rug spread out on the floor in the center. The healer, a plump Audino, was waiting for them.

"Come in, dears, come in!" she sang. "What seems to be the trouble?" Celosia tilted herself to the side and dumped the Archen onto the rug. "I found him washed up on the beach, Nursey. I don't know what's wrong with him, but he won't wake up."

The Audino, apparently named Nursey, frowned slightly and bent down to examine the Archen. She dipped her head until one of her ear probes was touching his chest. "Mm hm… mm hm…" she hummed, listening to his heartbeat.

"What good'll that do?" Tortuga whispered to Celosia. She answered, "All Audino are good listeners, but Nursey's the best I've ever seen. She can determine exactly what happened to a patient just by listening to their heart beating, or even their blood flowing."

The Tirtouga was in awe by the time Nursey got up again. "This little one is in very bad condition," she said sorrowfully. "He took a Hyper Beam to the chest, is in the middle of a mild coma, and has a bit of water in his lungs as well."

Celosia's eyes bugged. "You can heal him, though… right?" she asked hesitantly. Nursey shrugged. "I can do my best, but there's really no way I can treat a coma. The best thing to do would be to let him stay here until he wakes up."

They thanked Nursey anyway and then left the hut.

As they walked through the village, Tortuga's mind wandered. _A Hyper Beam to the chest?_ That indeed sounded familiar, and the Archen himself already seemed familiar to the Water-and-Rock type. _Why can't I remember any of this? _he thought in frustration.

"Something wrong?" Celosia inquired of him. He shook his head and replied, "I can't remember."

The Glaceon swished her tail as they left the village behind them. The duo was unconsciously heading toward the forest. "Maybe Nursey can look at you tomorrow," she suggested. "Maybe she can figure out what's wrong."

Tortuga perked up at this notion. "I guess she could," he agreed, waddling along beside his new friend.

-.-.-.-.-.

Luke felt safe and warm when he slowly woke up. There was a gentle rocking sensation lulling him back to sleep, and he felt a hand clutching his own It felt so soft and gentle that he wasn't tempted in the least to yank his fingers away from it.

Indeed, the Victini was so drowsy that he simply felt like drifting off back to sleep. But before he did, a tired thought floated out from his sleep-clogged mind. _I just want to see where I am,_ he told himself. _I want to see where I am, and then I can keep resting._

His eyes peeled open at the exact same time Gaby's did. They found themselves with their faces only inches apart.

The Kirlia shrieked loudly and bolted fully awake. Luke jumped up and hurriedly pushed himself away from her. Both of their hearts were beating rapidly from shock, and Luke was blushing furiously. He gulped and gradually calmed down, trying to push the thought that Gaby looked even prettier up close from his mind.

A Riolu was staring at them amusedly. "Hello, you two," he said cheerily. "Took you long enough to wake up."

The two friends looked around at their surroundings. They were on a small raft in the middle of the ocean, and their new Riolu comrade was paddling with a large, flat piece of wood in his hands. It looked to be about mid-afternoon from the position of the sun. Other than that, there wasn't much else to take note of.

"Name's Cobalt," the Riolu said. "I found the two of you floating around in the water a while ago. Do you remember what happened?"

Gaby frowned and shook her head slowly. Luke was about to say that he didn't know either, when the memories came flooding back to him. He gasped slightly and excitedly tapped Gaby's arm. "The storm!" he said. "Remember, there was that big storm that we sailed through?"

The Kirlia's eyes lit up, and she nodded. But… _Where is everyone else? Where's the Tranquility? _she thought. _Was the storm so bad that it separated and scattered us?_

Cobalt spoke up again. "I had to get through that storm as well," he said, taking a break from rowing the raft to sit down beside them. "It was a miracle my raft – and myself – survived it. Anyway, I'm trying to reach the Elemental Islets right now. Once we reach land, we can figure out what to do next."

Luke put in, "We should look for Pteryx next, right Gaby?" The Kirlia frowned again and caught Cobalt's look of confusion. "We were headed to Diamond Island because an Archen we know needed medical attention from the doctor there," she explained.

The Riolu sighed and shook his head sadly. "Diamond Island is no more," he said. Gaby and Luke held their hands to their mouths in a silent gasp. Stricken, they looked at each other with wide, frightened eyes – and promptly fainted.

-.-.-.-.-.

"Can't this ship go any faster?" Shadepelt complained as Rudy steered it through the lessening wind and rain. At last, they were leaving the storm behind them, and they were already almost to Diamond Island. Sylvester had managed to swipe a boat that had been left unattended in the harbor, and they were using it to get to said island in order to find the Kirlia and her Shard.

Nothing like a good hurricane to cover up a theft.

But Rudy was reaching the end of his patience with the insolent Purrloin. "Look behind you," he growled. "What do ya see?"

Not sure at what he was getting at, Shadepelt twisted her head to look behind her. "The sails?" she asked, wondering if it was a trick question.

"Exactly," Rudy said nastily. "Which means the ship's powered by wind, and that means we can't go any faster unless the wind does. Get it?" The Devious Pokemon grumbled under her breath and went to find her brother, who was fishing off the side of the boat.

Meanwhile, Clawface was perched up in the Murkrow's nest, shading his eyes (technically, _eye_) with a wing as he peered off into the distance. Once he got the Shard, he'd be able to hold up his end of the bargain until the Darkfeather gang got their claws on that Noctowl and Hoothoot. He knew that they'd be able to help him get past the obstacles on the path to the treasure he sought – but he would only give up the Shard once they were safely in his possession. Clawface definitely wouldn't put it past Mara to weasel her way out of the agreement once the Shard was hers.

Suddenly, his working eye – which was still as keen as ever – picked out a speck sticking up out of the otherwise watery horizon. "Hey guys!" he squawked down. "There's land dead ahead! Turn that wheel so we're headed thirty degrees to the left!"

Rudy smiled as he spun the wheel. Not only was he looking forward to hitting land, but he was also having fun. The last time he was on a boat had been when his Pop had taken him fishing out in the oasis. _Ah, that was the life,_ he thought wistfully. _Maybe when I'm done with this stealin' and muggin' business, I'll become a fisherman._

They got closer to the land. Taking a close look at the map, the Krokorok determined that it was indeed Diamond Island. His grin grew wider as he anticipated the end of the mission. Once that Shard was theirs, he could go back home to the Dunedust Desert, with no squawking bird Pokemon telling him what to do…

His fantasy was shattered by, indeed, a squawk from Clawface. "What in Giratina's name?!" he screeched, scarcely able to believe his eye. As they got closer to Diamond Island, the Life Stealers trio began to see as well – Diamond Island was in ruins. Already half of it had sunk beneath the waves, and the sea around it was littered with driftwood, rotting Berries, and more.

Sylvester was shocked beyond belief. Shadepelt was aghast, and Rudy was numb. "Wh-what… H-How could this happen?" Sylvester protested. "Islands don't just sink!"

Shadepelt took her paw away from her mouth and piled on, "I know the natural disasters were getting bad, but this is ridiculous! What could have done such a thing?!"

Rudy opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

Even Clawface was distressed. "Where could the Shard be now?" he asked to no one in particular. "Has it sunk beneath the sea as well?"

It was now when Rudy found his voice. "I think we should tell the Abyssal Raiders what happened," he said nervously, and Sylvester reacted instantly, striking out at him with his claws.

"No, you fool!" he raged. "You know what the Raiders will do when they find out we lost a Shard? They'll snatch it for themselves and we'll be out of favor!"

Clawface swooped down to the deck and thought hard. "Let's just think about this for a second," he cautioned. "Try not to strain yourself," Sylvester said sarcastically.

Clawface ignored the Liepard. "Rudy, how big is Diamond Island on the map?" he asked the Krokorok.

Rudy squinted at the scale shown on the map, and then looked Diamond Island over. "I'd say a hundred or so miles, give or take," he said tentatively. Clawface nodded and continued, "Alright, now look out at the island we can see in front of us, and tell me approximately how big it is now."

Looking out over the ocean, and shading his good eye with a claw, Rudy did a few minor calculations in his head. He glanced down at the map, then at the horizon again. A fair while passed before he turned back to Clawface and answered, "I'd say more than half of it is left."

Clawface snapped his feathers as if they were fingers (don't ask how he managed that). "Alright, judging by how slow it seems to be sinking now, I'd have to guess that it started around three days ago. And since we made our first attempt at the Shard almost a day ago, that means our quarry was never on Diamond Island. If we assume that they know as well that Diamond Island is sinking, then they'll be heading to the closest place – the Elemental Islets."

The Fearow finished his deduction and waited for someone to say something. Rudy, for one, was very impressed by his reasoning.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Sylvester said at last. "Let's steer this thing to the Elemental Islets!" Rudy hopped to it, spinning the wheel and sharply turning the boat.

"Hang on," Clawface mused, still thinking. "The Elemental Islets usually have a rescue team or two hanging around, due to the islands being useful as rest stops on their adventures." Shadepelt, Sylvester, and Rudy all frowned at this. Real-deal rescue teams would demolish them in no time flat.

"Meet me on Fire Isle's beach," Clawface said, walking to the edge of the boat and spreading his wings. "Where are ya goin'?" Rudy demanded, and Clawface smirked.

"For back-up, of course," he said, before soaring up into the afternoon sky and back toward the continent.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Okami belongs to one of my friends. Nursey, Amanita, and Miranda all belong to yours truly.**

**Oh no! Clawface and the Life Stealers have uncovered the terrible truth concerning Diamond Island! Will they find Gaby and the Shard they seek at the Elemental Islets?**

**And what of our other heroes, scattered all over the western ocean? Will they ever reunite? Finally, just where in the world could Terra, Cenric, and the wreck of the ****_Tranquility_**** have landed?**

**Find out (possibly) in the next thrilling episode of… "Destined Explorers of Legend"! *cue Legend of the Guardians theme music***

**Rudy: "Review, or I'll turn ya inside out!"**


	11. Battles and Misunderstandings

**In this chapter, we finally get back to Barn, Elf, Adrianna, and Topaz, and their Noivern adversary! …After we take a look at some of our other characters, of course. *smirks***

**Also, at Megadracosaurus' request, I have switched the Purrloin's name from Purgully to Shadepelt. Take note of that.**

**I just want to say that I just went to go see the Monsters Inc. prequel, "Monsters University". It was hilarious and in my opinion, better than the first movie. The scene with the librarian was the best – the whole time I was thinking "RELEASE THE KRAKEN!"**

**Moving on…**

-.-.-.-.-.

Wyvern never expected to wake up. The last thing he could remember was sitting by Pteryx's bed, watching over him, when all of a sudden the boat began rocking ferociously. He was thrown off balance and ended up on the floor. Then there was the sound of rain and thunder, and more rocking, and when he tried to get up he had banged his head on the edge of the bed. Then he had been knocked out, and next thing he knew, everything was silent.

But not totally silent. Indeed, Wyvern could hear two unfamiliar voices talking. "Extinct?" one was saying. It seemed to be a young female talking. Then the other voice said, "They're not supposed to exist anymore. They're all supposed to be dead."

At that, Wyvern realized that they were talking about him. His eyes snapped open, and the first thing he saw was a bright orange muzzle staring him in the face.

The Archeops was so startled he shrieked and leapt to his feet. "RUUUUUN!" said the one with the orange muzzle, legs wind-milling as he ran off. Another Pokemon, presumably the owner of the other voice, followed him closely.

_It's just a couple of kids!_ Wyvern realized, surprised. He roared after them, scared and angry to have been frightened so badly, the primal sound tearing from his lungs and sending the two into a renewed panic. _Don't kids know to respect their elders?_ the Archeops wondered, then immediately rejected the thought. Fossil Pokemon were _never_ respected by the newer breeds.

Sighing to himself, Wyvern surveyed his unfamiliar surroundings. The beach was pebbly and uncomfortable under his talons. Huge cliffs rose into the air not so far away, making the island look very uninviting. _This is definitely not Diamond Island,_ Wyvern thought grimly.

Then he turned around, and gasped at the sight that greeted his eyes. The wreck of the _Tranquility_ was before him, sitting on the rocky coast like a beached Wailmer. Behind it, he could see that there were lots of jagged rocks present in the water, which decreased in number as the water opened up to the open ocean. _Where am I?_

Wyvern circled the shipwreck, feeling eerily alone in this unfamiliar land. "Gaby? Tortuga?" he called. "Luke? Pteryx? Where are you?" He called out again and again, voice slowly getting more desperate.

It was after the fifth time he called out for his friends when Wyvern realized the truth. "Pteryx… brother…" he murmured, sitting down wearily on a flat rock. Tears welled in his eyes as he faced it – he was alone here, separated from his dear brother. Pteryx needed him most, but they were separated by who knows how many miles.

"Pteryx…" Wyvern said again, then buried his head in his claws and cried his heart out.

-.-.-.-.-.

"Is he still there?" Terra asked nervously. She was crouched behind a decently-sized rock, and Cenric was hiding behind one that was a fair distance from hers.

"I don't know," he whisper-shouted back, referring to the mysterious fossil Pokemon. "I don't think he chased us this far."

Both of them slowly poked their heads out from behind their boulders. The canyon in which they were hiding was completely empty. Breathing sighs of relief, the Buizel and Charmander both stepped out from their hiding spots and scratched their heads, wondering what to do next.

"Where is that fossil anyway?" Terra asked curiously. Cenric shrugged, clearly indifferent to where the creature was – unless it was anywhere near him, of course. "Maybe still down at the beach," he replied.

Terra was confused. "Did it even chase us?" she wondered. Now Cenric did start to wonder, no longer indifferent but maybe a little curious. "Actually, I don't think so," he replied. "I guess he just wanted to scare us off."

But the Charmander's curiosity was piqued, and she wandered back down the canyon and toward the beach. "Hey, don't go back! Maybe he really will chase us this time!" Cenric called, but grudgingly followed after a moment.

They reached a part of the canyon where a bit of the wall had collapsed, forming a small, enclosed cliff that dropped abruptly down to the beach. Terra and Cenric stood on this cliff and looked down, where they could clearly see the wreck of the _Tranquility_. After a moment, Cenric pointed toward the yellow-feathered figure, who appeared to be crouched on a rock.

"Now what's he doing?" Cenric asked, despite himself. Terra scratched her head and wondered aloud, "Maybe he's thinking?" The Buizel shook his head and said seriously, "No, that can't be it. My parents said that fossil Pokemon don't do much thinking. They act on instinct and aren't very bright."

The two of them continued walking down the slope of the canyon until they reached the beach again. Now they could see that the Pokemon had his head buried in his claws as if he had a headache. _Too much thinking?_ Terra asked herself.

That was when they heard the quiet noises coming from his covered-up head, and saw his feathery shoulders shaking.

He was _crying._

Despite her fear of the mysterious Pokemon, Terra hated seeing anyone be upset. She cautiously walked up to the rock he was sitting on until she was right next to it. "Um, sir… Are you alright?"

The Pokemon didn't answer right away, but flinched at the sound of her voice. At last, he muttered, "I'm alone here. I'm the only one that made it here. And there were five of us on that boat when the storm hit."

Terra realized it just then. "You were caught in that storm too?" she inquired, and he nodded. "I don't know where any of the others are," he said, voice still broken with emotion. "And my little brother was with us. He could be dead for all I know!"

Although he didn't cry, the Pokemon let out a long, weary sigh and slumped down on his rock. By now, Cenric had also walked up and was listening as well.

"Hey, it'll be fine," Terra said sweetly, patting the Pokemon's arm… or wing, or whatever it was. "All we need to do is get off of this island, and then we can find your friends!"

As you can see, Terra was an optimist.

"If we're going to be working together for the time being," the Pokemon said at last, "then we might as well get to know each other. My name's Wyvern. I live in – or used to live in – Seaside Village."

Cenric's eyes lit up. "You come from Seaside Village? I've been there," he said excitedly. "I'm Cenric. Yin-Yang Islands originally. Now I'm a wanderer." He pointed to the Charmander and continued, "That's Terra of Team Biosphere. She came from Diamond Island before it sunk."

Wyvern actually chuckled. "Come on, that's ridiculous," he laughed. "Islands don't sink just like that." He chuckled a bit more.

"He's telling the truth," Terra said indignantly. "There was this earthquake that sunk Diamond Island! And my friend Cobalt and everyone else was killed!"

Wyvern stopped laughing and looked at her closely. "You're sure?" he asked. When she nodded, he thought a little bit, then continued, "We need to get off this island and warn the Guardians. My friends and I are an official rescue team under them, ya know."

Cenric looked at him with a new respect. "You're on a rescue team?" he asked in awe. Wyvern laughed again and confirmed, "Yep, we're Team Fossil. We run a little shop in Seaside Village to pay most of the bills, though."

The three of them shared a good laugh before going back to the more serious situation awaiting them. "How can we fix that boat?" Terra asked. "We don't even know where we are!"

Wyvern looked up at the cliffs and said, almost to himself, "I think I know where we are." The other two looked at him questioningly, and he finished, "We're on Deepdark Island."

-.-.-.-.-.-.

The Noivern snarled and faced the group, blocking their only means of escape from the narrow rock bridge. Adrianna looked back fearfully and then took a backwards step, as if afraid the bridge had vanished as they crossed it. Barn and Elf eyed their foe wearily, and Topaz just yawned before falling back asleep.

"So what's the plan for this one?" the Gardevoir asked nervously. Barn said with all the confidence he could muster, "We do what the Guardians would do – we fight our way past it." Elf rolled her eyes and said sarcastically, "Oh, good. I didn't have any plans for today anyway."

Apparently, the giant bat-like dragon was growing tired of the lack of action, and released a powerful Screech attack. The noise was so powerful that it shook pebbles from the ceiling that showered down on them. "Th-that's a Screech?!" the Hoothoot exclaimed, clamping her wings over her ears in vain. "It hits like a Hyper Voice!"

And the Noivern wasn't done yet. It rose into the air and shot forward, coming down with a Dragon Claw. All three of them ducked its glowing talons as one, and as it swooped up into the air behind them for another go, Barn raised his head and shot an Extrasensory wave at it. The psychic blast smashed into it, disorienting it enough for it to fall a few meters before steadying its flight again.

With a shriek, the Noivern dove again, strafing the bridge with its Screech attack. The sound threw up dust and pebbles wherever it hit, and it rapidly swept toward the group. If they were hit with the destructive noise, then the group would be inevitably be pushed off the bridge and into the abyss below them.

"Light Screen!" called Barn, throwing up a yellowish barrier to protect them. Although a Light Screen would generally have no effect against status moves such as Screech, in this case it helped block out the potential physical harm the Noivern's attack would do.

The Noivern passed right over them again, cutting off its Screech as it did so, then did a wide aerial somersault and came around for another Dragon Claw. "Reflect!" Elf cried as she saw the incoming attack, and threw up a blue barrier. The Noivern's glowing talons smashed into the barrier with an audible clang.

But it started to come around yet again, and Adrianna fired a Thunderbolt at it. The bolt went wide, forcing the Noivern to change the direction of its next attack. Barn shot another Extrasensory at it, which didn't stop it either. Instead, the Noivern crossed its wings over its body, then flared them and released several spinning blades of energy for an Air Slash attack.

Barn's Extrasensory attack deflected several of the blades all over the cavern, and his previous Light Screen blocked the rest. Adrianna took this chance to murmur, "Future Sight." Her eyes glowed very faintly – as the attack came closer to completion, the glow would intensify.

Finally, the Noivern took a rest from its continuous attacks. It landed at the end of the bridge, blocking them once more from moving forward. The Flying-and-Dragon-type panted tiredly, trying to regain its stamina. It glared at them defiantly, showing them that there was still some fight in it.

Barn saw an opportunity and snatched it. "Hypnosis!" he hooted, shooting three blue orbs of energy spinning from his feathery tufts. If all three hit the Noivern, it would fall into a deep sleep.

Sadly, the Noivern still had enough stamina to retaliate. It lashed out with Screech, blowing the three orbs right back at him. Elf jumped up to take the blow, and the orbs hit her in quick succession. The Hoothoot hit the bridge and started snoring lightly.

"Thanks, friend," Barn said quietly, then braced himself as the Noivern readied another attack. This time, though, it opened up its large ears and produced a massive, explosive sound wave. As the sound swept toward them, explosions formed behind it, tearing the ground apart while it advanced. It was Noivern's signature move, Boomblast!

The Noctowl almost panicked. But then, Adrianna jumped in front of him, and he noticed that her eyes were glowing a blinding white. "Future Sight!" she called, releasing a wave of energy that met the Boomblast head-on with a colossal explosion. The two attacks cancelled each other out, and the cavern itself was rocked by the force.

Barn noted that the bridge was starting to crumble bit by bit. "We should really get out of here," he told Adrianna as he picked up the unconscious Elf in his talons, and she nodded. "You're right, we need to flee," she agreed, and the two backed away from the Noivern.

However, it had other plans. It chased after them with a Dragon Claw attack, wings spread as it soared rapidly after them. They simultaneously ducked, but since Elf's Reflect was still in effect, its claws clanged off of the barrier anyway.

The Noivern landed in front of them at the other end of the bridge, cutting off their escape. "No matter where we go, we're trapped!" Barn said urgently, but that didn't stop them from running in the opposite direction. The Noivern unleashed another Boomblast, which swept rapidly after them and decimated the bridge as it passed.

Adrianna and Barn looked back to see the explosive noise nearly on top of them. Eyes widening, Barn soared upward noiselessly, avoiding the sound wave. But Adrianna instinctively ducked, allowing the wave of destruction to pass over her. The bridge shattered beneath her feet, and the Gardevoir screamed as her and Topaz fell into the chasm below.

Barn was stricken. He couldn't do anything with his talons full of a sleeping Hoothoot except watch the mother and her son fall helplessly to their deaths.

Just then, however, a female voice rang out into the cavern. "Twister!" it said, and a massive tornado blasted up from the depths, catching Adrianna and Topaz and pushing them up at an angle. They came to rest on solid ground – the Twister attack had pushed them back to the safety of the ledge. On the opposite side, the Noivern shrieked in frustration, and spread its wings once more.

A Dragonair slithered up from the chasm with a Tentacruel hanging on for dear life. The two Pokemon landed gently beside Barn, Adrianna, and Topaz. The Dragonair looked at the bright red patches on her otherwise flawless scales and shook her head. "You owe me a lot of Pecha Berries when we get out of here, Alphonse."

The Tentacruel shook his head and scoffed. "If you haven't forgotten, Evelyn, you can shed your skin. And can I help it if my tentacles are poisonous?"

Barn waved a wing. "Excuse me!" he said urgently. "Could you stop your argument, because we've got trouble headed our way again!" He pointed to the Noivern, rapidly closing in on the group.

Alphonse and Evelyn got ready for battle, prepared to fight off the savage dragon and save their newfound friends.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Wyvern wakes up and does some crying over his brother, and is comforted by two new friends. And Evelyn and Alphonse arrive just in time to save the day for Barn and Co.!**

**For the record, I have no idea what moves Noivern can learn, so I went with generic Dragon-and-Flying moves as well as Screech.**

**Characters are still welcome, although I'm not getting many requests lately – maybe it's time to shut down the OC request offer?**

**Anyway, RELEASE THE KRAKEN! …I mean, REVIEW!**

**Chapter Question #1 (please answer these!): Who is your favorite of all the characters so far, and why?**


	12. Reunion

**Again, we're going to leave Round 2 of the Noivern battle alone for now, and instead switch back to the Elemental Islets, where two – no, make that three – groups of Pokemon are about to be reunited.**

**Because who doesn't love a reunion?**

-.-.-.-.-.

The little raft floated innocently on top of the water, looking like a mere speck against the vastness of the big blue. Occasionally a Wingull would swoop low over the boat with a screech, only to find there wasn't any food to be seen and subsequently fly off.

Aside from the bird Pokemon, and the occasional Basculin jumping out of the water, the raft's three passengers were alone. Cobalt was beginning to find the alone-ness a little unnerving, as he had been alone ever since the destruction of Diamond Island, almost a day ago.

His Aura, although of course he didn't know it was that, was guiding him in which he felt to be the direction of the Elemental Islets, which the Riolu thought to be a good idea. There were friendly Pokemon living there, and there was always a rescue team keeping an eye on the place, either using the islands as a rest stop on their adventures or just helping Pokemon in need.

For now, though, Cobalt was lost in his thoughts as he rowed his raft. The afternoon sun, indeed sinking lower in the sky as the day grew old, had once troubled him with its heat, but it was cooling down now. The ocean water was pleasantly warm too, he noted as he idly rowed, paying no attention to his surroundings.

His two passengers, Gaby and Luke, were lying down on the raft together. The pitiful sail (made out of an old tablecloth), offered them some shade, which they delighted in resting and cooling down in. They, too, were thinking deeply, although occasionally they would speak their thoughts.

"Why do you think Diamond Island sunk?" Luke asked after a while. The question had been buzzing around in his mind since they had heard the dreadful news.

"I think a natural disaster was behind it," Gaby told him. "Probably an undersea quake or volcanic eruption." She shuddered and mused, more to herself than to Luke, "But a natural disaster that powerful hasn't been recorded before. How come they're suddenly getting worse?"

Luke turned over on his side to face her. "Do you think the natural disasters are connected to the Legendaries disappearing?" he asked, and Gaby turned her head slightly to look at him. This was an unexpectedly deep connection he was making – the Kirlia's first impression of him had been a young, timid, naïve Pokemon. But he was clearly wiser and more mature than his attitude let on.

"I don't know," Gaby murmured in response. "But none of us knows why the Legendaries decided to go into hiding like that. I heard that they used to help us all the time. Seaside Village had Lugia, Diamond Island had Dialga, Deepdark Island had Kyogre… even the Glacier of Absence had Kyurem. But now terrible things are happening to this world… Diamond Island sinking, the Ocean Faction is almost extinct, natural disasters are worsening and crime lords are popping up and taking over…"

It was one of those rare times when Gaby found herself overcome with emotion. This time, it was mostly fear, but there was sadness and confusion as well. The world was changing, and possibly even ending. Gaby herself was separated from her family and friends. The Kirlia was strong, but she was only still a child. Deep down, she doubted herself and often worried. She managed to hide all this behind her tough exterior, but occasionally it bubbled to the surface and destroyed it, forcing her to pull herself together again.

She spoke again, indeed with this emotion bubbling up in her voice. "I'm sorry, Luke," she said quietly. "I'm sorry for… for yelling at you like that earlier. I was desperate to get out of the storm, and I only… I only wanted you to be safe."

The Victini gave her a long look as he processed what she had just said. As he always did when he looked at her, he thought of how pretty she was. Her blue hair clip clashed pleasingly with her green "hair" and red horns, and her big, mysterious eyes were a lovely shade of crimson. She was strong and silent, something he admired greatly, but deeply caring as well, which he also liked. Luke felt like she was as perfect as a Pokemon could ever be. Even if a Legendary Pokemon appeared before him, he would still think that Gaby was just as beautiful and majestic.

But even as he thought these usual thoughts, Luke was also thinking about her apology. From those heartfelt words, he could see that Gaby cared about him, even if it was only as a friend, and indeed cared about him enough to wish for him to be safe. She was guilty for hurting his feelings when she had yelled at him.

In the end, Luke was at a loss for words. But despite this, he reached out and hugged the Kirlia tightly, silently telling her that she was forgiven.

Gaby herself was unsure of how to take the hug. By the Victini's smile, she could gather that it was meant to be affectionate. Was he forgiving her? Or was it something else? Either way, she moved to push him away, when she at last felt how good the hug really was. His head was snuggled on her shoulder, his little hands were firmly pressed against her back, and his silky fur felt soft and warm.

Gaby couldn't help herself. She hugged him back.

-.-.-.-.-.

The sun was just touching the horizon, setting the sky aflame with orange and pink, when the raft finally hit land. Cobalt had seen it only ten minutes ago, and the sight of solid ground seemed to spur him into a frenzy of action. Gaby and Luke, who had taken a short nap, were woken up by his actions and rapidly used their hands to paddle as well, not wanting to be floating in the ocean a millisecond more than they had to be.

At last, the raft ran aground on a small, sandy beach, and everyone quickly abandoned it. They instinctively relaxed when their feet finally touched the ground, although Cobalt had difficulty getting used to the sensation after almost a day of sailing. As they made their way further inland, he would frequently trip or stumble over his own feet. Gaby didn't notice her hair clip, already loosened from all the drama she had been through, fall to land gently in the sand.

The tenth time Cobalt fell, as they made their way into the forest, they decided to take a quick break for now. Much to Cobalt's relief, they all slumped against a tree and rested, still enjoying the sensation of having solid through and through to sit on.

The Riolu reached into his bag and pulled out a tattered map. Gaby looked over curiously and saw that it was a map of the western ocean, extending from Diamond Island in the south and Long Talon Peninsula in the north. Cobalt studied the map before nodding in satisfaction and putting it back in his treasure bag.

"We're on Fire Isle," he informed the other two. "Luckily it has a direct trade route with Seaside Village, so we can head there if we want and then plan our next steps."

Gaby frowned. _What are our next steps? Do we head to Seaside Village and just go our separate ways? Or do we continue journeying together until we complete what seems to be being asked of us?_ As a Psychic-type Pokemon, Gaby was a great believer in destiny. And now she began to wonder if this storm hadn't separated her and her friends for any reason. Maybe they were meant to be scattered. _But why?_ She shook her head – it was all so confusing.

"I think it would be safe for now to just focus on reaching the village," Luke chirped. "I heard there's a village around here." Cobalt nodded at this and replied, "Yes, there's a village on each of the isles – Ice Isle, Thunder Isle, and Fire Isle. I hear that their guardian Legendaries are Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres."

As Luke and Gaby mulled this over in their minds, there was a sudden rustle of leaves coming from somewhere, deeper in the forest. The Kirlia was so startled by the unexpected noise that she instinctively clutched Luke's hand. When she noticed this, she let go and shuffled away from him slightly. But she never noticed that his face was a bright shade of pink, bordering on magenta.

The bushes physically rustled this time, and before anyone could prepare for a potential fight, three figures jumped out from the foliage. Two were Eevee, and the other was a rare breed of Pokemon that everyone vaguely recalled being known as a Sylveon.

"You guys look unfamiliar," the Sylveon noted, obviously the leader of this little gang. "Right back at you," Cobalt said pointedly.

The Fairy-type Eeveelution nodded and replied with a bright smile, "I'm Okami. Pleased to meet you! We're Team Eevui, the rescue team from around these parts. These are my sisters, Miranda and Amanita." The two Eevee gave enthusiastic grins and nods to the group.

"You're a rescue team?" Luke said in astonishment. "That's right!" Okami said cheerfully. "But we mostly hang around here and do good, unless the Guardians send us a mission. We're new to this whole 'rescuing and exploring' business, you know." She dipped her head modestly and traced a random design with her paw in the dirt.

"So… could you help us?" Cobalt asked. Gaby nodded and stood up to Okami's eye level. "Yes, could you? We were separated from our friends in a storm. We ended up heading here to get help."

The three fox-like Pokemon shared skeptical glances. Luke saw this and said, "It's true! That storm scattered us all over the western ocean. And Cobalt said that Diamond Island was destroyed in another natural disaster!"

The urgency in his voice either didn't convince them, or wasn't noticed by them. Instead, Team Eevui snickered madly. "Are you serious?" Okami said when she had caught her breath. "Natural disasters can't destroy entire _islands_. You're either messing with us, or you're trying to con us into helping you with whatever your needs are."

The trio suddenly became serious. Miranda yelled, "Yeah, we don't tolerate bad Pokemon!"

Cobalt's temper started boiling over. Gaby motioned for him to stay put as she glared defiantly at the rescue team. "Are _you_ serious?" she asked. "Rescue teams don't frame Pokemon as 'bad' on a whim. You're either messing with us, or you're just a terrible rescue team."

The Sylveon's eyes blazed with anger. "No one calls us a bad rescue team!" she shrieked, the lack of reaction in Gaby's eyes angering her further. The two teams of three squared off, neither yielding an inch to the other.

But then, a hostile-sounding voice rang out into the forest. "Then I guess no one tells the truth!" The six Pokemon turned as one to see a Glaceon and a Tirtouga walking towards them up the path.

Gaby and Luke simultaneously blinked and rubbed their eyes. It was Tortuga!

The Victini squealed with joy. Gaby simply broke into a relieved smile. Cobalt glanced from one to the other, thoroughly confused.

"Are these the friends you were telling me about?" the Glaceon asked curiously. Tortuga blinked blankly at said friends. "I can't remember," he said simply.

Cobalt, Gaby, and the Glaceon all blinked. Luke stumbled and fell, he was so shocked at Tortuga's answer. "Whaddaya mean, you can't remember?!" he demanded, for a moment sounding a lot like Pteryx.

"Yes, I thought you said something about a Victini and Kirlia before," the Glaceon said, confused. Tortuga shook his head and said calmly, "I did mention that, but I can't remember anything else about them."

Gaby shook her head, forcing herself to remain under control. Although she hadn't known the Tirtouga all that long, she couldn't just believe that he had gone and forgotten them just like that. _The storm must have traumatized him in some way,_ she realized.

"Hmm… This is something to tell Nursey about," the Glaceon mused. "You claim not to remember them, but they claim to know you. How very strange. You must have hit your head or otherwise caused yourself to forget."

Okami and the Eevee twins stepped forward to take charge of the situation. "Of course they claim to know him! They were just now lying about Diamond Island sinking and accidentally washing up on shore!" Okami yelled.

The Glaceon gritted her teeth, and her fur seemed to freeze up into spikes, making her look very intimidating indeed. "Diamond Island _did_ sink, you thick-headed ditz," she growled. "Team Bloodsucker told me about it just before I found this guy washed up on the beach with his Archen friend. If Team Bloodsucker's lying, then I'm a smoked Magikarp with steamed rice on the side!"

Okami, Miranda, and Amanita all paled. "Um… Ah… O-Okay, then…" the Sylveon muttered, heavily embarrassed at her blunder. The Glaceon advanced on her and said harshly, "I'd suggest you ask Team Bloodsucker for some much-needed advice on how to be a good rescue team while they're still in town."

Team Eevui all shook their heads. "Hanging around those creepy Bug-types? Nuh-uh!" Amanita protested. "Besides, we like to learn on the job," added Miranda.

Gaby shot them a glance and muttered, "Haven't been on the job much, then." If Okami caught the comment, she didn't say anything. Instead, she turned to Gaby, Luke, and Cobalt and said, "I'm sincerely sorry about that. It looks like we have a lot to learn about being a good rescue team."

The Kirlia accepted the apology graciously. Waving with their tails in farewell, Team Eevui bounded back off into the forest.

The Glaceon's spikes smoothed down again. "Sorry about them," she said with embarrassment. "They mean well, certainly… they just don't always _do_ well." Cobalt waved off her apology and replied, "It had nothing to do with you. Don't apologize."

Tortuga raised a fin and said, "Look, if you're my friends, it's nice to see you again. If you're not, pleasure to meet you. My name's Tortuga."

Cobalt, who didn't know the fossil Pokemon to begin with, shook his flipper warmly. Gaby, however, said, "We are your friends, even if you don't remember us. And did you say 'Archen friend'?" she added to the Glaceon.

"I did," she said. "My name's Celosia, Celly for short. Tortuga washed up with an Archen wearing a black bandana. Sound familiar to you?"

Luke leapt up and did an enthusiastic victory pose. "Yeah, that's Pteryx all right!" he cheered. "Where is he, where is he?!" Now he was back to being the old Luke – bouncing around like a hyperactive child.

"We left him at Nursey's hut," Celosia replied. "He's in a mild coma, and being washed up on the beach evidently left some water in his lungs, but he'll be fine. That Audino is the best I've ever seen." Nodding in agreement, Tortuga piled on, "We were planning to go check up on him before the sun set anyway."

Celosia nodded. "We can take you to him, if you want. And who knows, maybe Nursey will be able to help Tortuga with his memory problem too."

The group set off with their new goal in mind. Celosia, however, lagged behind, trying to think. _I promised myself since the death of my family that I'd never grow close to anyone else,_ she said to herself. _But here I am with four new friends. I'm going to have to be careful and not let them get too close to me, otherwise it'll only come back to bite me in the tail._

-.-.-.-.-.

Rudy, Shadepelt, and Sylvester had been waiting for almost an hour on the coast of one of the Elemental Islets. They had abandoned their stolen boat in favor of pacing the beach or tossing seashells into the water. Even after an hour of this idle activity, Clawface still hadn't shown up.

"Seriously, how long can it take for one bird Pokemon to get reinforcements?" Shadepelt complained, throwing the hundredth clam shell in a row into the water. "When there's an entire ocean to cross?" her brother answered. The Purrloin grumbled under her breath and hurled another shell into the waves.

"Hey guys!" Rudy's voice shouted over to them from the other side of the beach. "Take a look at what I found!" The Krokorok had previously wandered off to explore – not that he thought he'd find anything interesting – and it appeared that he had indeed found something of interest.

The two cat-like Pokemon bounded to the other side of the beach where Rudy stood examining something. "Look at this," he said, pointing to whatever it was. Sylvester and Shadepelt raised their eyebrows in surprise upon discovering what it was.

It was what looked like a raft that was beached on the beach, so to speak. It appeared to be made of stray pieces of wood lashed together with rope, and the sail was made of a damaged tablecloth. It seemed to be in pretty rough shape, but also looked rather seaworthy for a vessel of its size.

"Hey, you think this came from Diamond Island?" Sylvester asked, and Rudy looked down at him with interest. "Maybe," he replied. "I guess if there were any survivors, they would have made this little craft and rowed out to sea in it looking for a safer place to live." He picked up a long, flat piece of wood that may have functioned as an oar.

Something shiny farther up the beach caught Shadepelt's eye. She slunk over to it and gingerly picked it up. It appeared to be a blue-colored hair accessory of some kind.

"Check this out!" she yelled, and her two partners came over to investigate. "The survivor seemed to have dropped this." She held up the blue clip.

Sylvester looked very unimpressed upon seeing it was only a hair accessory, but Rudy looked interested. He took it from Shadepelt's paw and held it up to the light. "I've seen this somewhere before!" he said suddenly. Then when he thought about it a little more, he exclaimed, "Got it! I have seen this before! The Kirlia Clawface and me were after was wearing it."

Shadepelt and Sylvester now looked almost excited. "You mean the one with the Shard?" Shadepelt asked, and Rudy nodded enthusiastically.

"This'll be easier than I thought now that we know she's on this island," Sylvester remarked, and then he suddenly stopped as a faint thrumming noise reached their ears.

Rudy glanced up to see at least forty bird Pokemon headed their way, led by a familiar long-beaked figure and an unfamiliar shiny-clawed figure. "Then let's tell that to them," he said with a smirk, indicating the incoming flock of Darkfeathers.

-.-.-.-.-.

**I love those tender Luke/Gaby moments. But this time we see enough to be sure that the Victini is madly in love with her. Will she ever realize, or indeed return, his affections?**

**That aside, we can rejoice! Tortuga is reunited with (some of) his friends! But will it last, and will they be separated once more? And will he remember them again?**

**And will the Darkfeather gang at last get their talons on Gaby, and possibly the Shard she still hasn't revealed the existence of?**

**The answers will be revealed in the next chapter, readers…**

**Chapter Question #2: Both junior members of Team Eevui are going to evolve in a later chapter. Which Eeveelutions would you like to see? Old ones, recent ones… or something brand-new…?**


	13. The Darkfeathers Attack

**New characters appear here, and some old ones make reappearances. Nothing else particularly special.**

**Oh, yes! Check my Deviantart account for drawings of some of the Fakemon that appear in this chapter! My DA account name is Cm25, of course short for Cottonmouth25.**

-.-.-.-.-.

"Hmm…" Nursey murmured, examining the Tirtouga's head and occasionally tapping it with her feelers. Celosia had taken Gaby, Tortuga, Luke, and Cobalt to the Audino's hut in order to check up on Pteryx, as well as see what the problem was with Tortuga's memory.

Upon seeing the unconscious form of Pteryx lying on Nursey's examination rug, Luke and Gaby had instantly relaxed as they saw their friend safe and sound. They were indeed worried about his condition, but at least he was in the care of the Audino, whom Celosia informed them was the best healer she knew of. If anyone could heal Pteryx, it was Nursey.

But now, the Audino brightened and snapped her fingers as she seemed to reach a conclusion. Tortuga looked up at her expectantly. She informed them cheerfully, "It's nothing but a bad case of amnesia. Nothing more~!"

Everyone shared nervous glances. No one was sure whether or not that a "bad case of amnesia" was worth worrying over or not. Nursey noted their concerned and sang, "It isn't anything to worry about! I can have your friend healed in a jiffy~!"

Now was the time everyone relaxed. "You can? Oh, thank goodness!" Tortuga said with pure relief. Nursey gave him a kind smile and walked over to her cabinet. After rummaging around in it for a while, she pulled out a large coconut.

Before Tortuga, or indeed anyone else, could ask what the coconut was for, Nursey held it over her head and then smashed it down on Tortuga's skull. His eyes rolled back in his head, and he collapsed.

"There!" Nursey said with satisfaction. "When he wakes up, his memory will come back. Works every time~!" She put the coconut back in her cabinet, humming a sprightly tune.

Everyone was completely speechless. Due to the lack of noise, a faint thrumming sound was able to be heard from outside. "What is that?" Luke asked, finding his voice. "Only one way to find out, I guess," Cobalt said, before rushing out of the hut.

Except for Tortuga and Pteryx, everyone followed them and immediately saw the immense flying figure already coming in for a landing. But as it landed, they could see that it was actually one flying figure carrying two others – one on its back, and another was gripped in its legs.

The three strange Pokemon separated from each other, and Gaby, Luke, and Cobalt all regarded them curiously. One was like a long, thin centipede, another looked like a much bigger version of a Galvantula, and the last (who seemed to be the leader) was like a giant mosquito, bigger than both of his comrades.

"Oh, it's Team Bloodsucker!" Nursey sang, waving at the trio of bugs. The mosquito-thing nodded in a friendly way at her and buzzed, "Greetings once again! We just wanted to give you a final farewell and thank-you before we set off on our next adventure."

Nursey blushed and became flustered. The Galvantula-like Pokemon noticed Gaby, Luke, and Cobalt staring at them questioningly and clicked her mandibles together. "I do not recognize the three of you," she observed. "Are you three newcomers to Fire Isle?"

Gaby nodded silently. "Who are you?" Cobalt asked curiously. "I've never seen Pokemon like you before, and all kinds came to Diamond Island all the time."

At these words, the bugs exchanged grim looks. "Oh, so you're from Diamond Island then," the centipede creature hissed. "I'm glad to see that there were some survivors, at least."

The leader of Team Bloodsucker flexed his wings and bowed graciously. "Well, allow us to introduce ourselves. I am Burner, leader of Team Bloodsucker. I understand your confusion as to our species – the three of us come from far away. I am a Fire-and-Flying type called Moskeeteor." As he said this, the glowing red bottom portion of his abdomen briefly burst into flames before extinguishing again.

"Greetings," the centipede said with a much more elaborate bow. "I am Drain, Poison-and-Dark-type and known as Pendrula where we come from."

Finally, the Galvantula-like Pokemon stepped forward. "My name is Tesla, a Bug-and-Electric type known as Conductula. I am the rarely-seen evolved form of Galvantula."

Burner, Drain, and Tesla all bowed once more in unison. Gaby, Luke, and Cobalt responded with similar bows (it was only polite, after all) and introduced themselves in turn.

But just then, there was a shrill caw that split the peaceful sunset atmosphere. Simultaneously, everyone looked up to see the rosy sky become dotted with the silhouettes of bird Pokemon.

"No, it can't be," murmured Burner. "It is the Darkfeather gang!"

The quartet paled, but none as much as Gaby. _The Shard… they're after me again,_ she thought grimly.

"Come," Drain hissed suspiciously. "We must find out what they are up to. The Darkfeathers almost never come here, and when they do, it is never with good intentions." Team Bloodsucker began to make their way down to the town square.

Cobalt turned to Nursey, who was looking frightened at the sight of the advancing gang. "You stay here and look after the two fossils," he told her heatedly. "My friends and I are going to follow the Bloodsuckers and find out what the birds want."

The Audino nodded nervously and ducked back into her hut as Cobalt, Luke, and Gaby followed behind the trio of insects toward the town square.

The journey didn't take long – it was a small village, after all. Coincidentally, the Darkfeather gang decided to land there as well. The forty or so bird Pokemon met Team Bloodsucker, the three young friends, and a few villagers there, and the two teams squared off against each other.

In the front of the feathered gang, Gaby and Luke noticed, was Clawface, but he was flanked by two others. One was a Skarmory whose eyes carried even more of a blazing fury than the Fearow's and the other was a Pidgeot who wore some kind of metal claws over his talons.

"That is Iron Talon," Tesla whispered to Gaby and the others. "He is the second-in-command of the Darkfeathers. They say he encountered a Fire-type that welded his metal claws to his feet during their battle. The Skarmory is Herra, and her partner is Clawface the murderer."

Gaby's face didn't show any emotion, but her eyes were alight with anger. "Yes, I know all about Clawface," she hissed back. "We've met."

Clawface and Burner both stepped forth. "It's been too long, old friend," Clawface sneered to the Moskeeteor. "You lost the right to call me 'friend' long ago," he shot back, buzzing angrily.

"If you must," Clawface replied evenly. "But please do not get in our way. We are here to find the Shard that we know to be here."

Luke instinctively looked at Gaby. _Clawface said something about a Shard when he first attacked Gaby, _he thought. _Does she have it? Is she in possession of this item that the murderer wants?_

Herra stepped forward with that same fiery glare in her eyes. "Better yet," she squawked harshly, "we'll just take it!"

And with that, the small army of Flying-types attacked.

-.-.-.-.-.

"Extrasensory!" cried Barn.

"Twister!" shrieked Evelyn.

"Thunderbolt!" yelled Adrianna.

"Toxic Spikes!" roared Alphonse.

The attacks battered the Noivern, but didn't incapacitate it for long. It recovered astonishingly quickly and dove at them once more for a Dragon Claw attack.

Alphonse moved to the front of the group and yelled, "Screech!" The gems on his head blasted out an ultrasonic tone that pushed the Noivern away. It responded with its own Screech that struck him like a physical blow and sent the Tentacruel flying a fair distance.

"It's too powerful!" Barn panted, trying to summon enough energy for an Extrasensory attack, but getting blasted by a stray Air Slash in the process. "Maybe if we flee deeper into the tunnel, its size will work against it," suggested Evelyn, using a Thunder Wave attack but missing.

"We can take it down if we work together," insisted Adrianna. "If we combine our attacks as one, then we can defeat it in one blast." Barn nodded, still crouching over the sleeping Elf. He understood the value of teamwork more than anything – it had only been from the combined efforts of him and Elf that they had escaped the Darkfeather gang. "Alright everyone!" the Noctowl announced. "We have to combine our most powerful attacks! Only united we can take down this Noivern!"

Evelyn and Alphonse understood immediately. The group of four clustered together, readying their attacks. The Noivern soared upward and came at them again, ready to take them down with one last Dragon Claw. As it got closer, it spread its wings and prepared itself for the kill.

"Wait for it…" Barn cautioned, mentally counting down the seconds. Everyone started charging power as they waited for the Noivern to get as close as possible.

It streaked directly for them, claws outstretched and glowing with energy. The Flying-and-Dragon-type was almost on top of them.

"NOW!" Barn shrieked, and they released their attacks.

"Dragon Rage! Extrasensory! Thunderbolt! Ice Beam!" they shouted as one, and each attack blended into a blinding white beam of pure power that smashed into the Noivern. The combined energy was so powerful that it sent the Noivern spinning away across the vast chasm. It hit the far wall, just past the gorge, and was instantly knocked out on impact.

"We did it…" murmured Alphonse, slumping to the ground and allowing himself to rest. "That's a relief…" Barn said exhaustedly, sitting down on his tail feathers.

"Thank goodness we're all alright," Adrianna said, snuggling Topaz (who had been asleep the entire time). "But… who are you two?" she added, pointing at the two Pokemon that had come in at the last minute to save their skins.

The Dragonair nodded her head elegantly and said, "My name is Evelyn. Pleased to meet you." Her companion got to his tentacles tiredly, brushed himself off, and said gruffly, "Alphonse."

Barn eyed the two of them. "What are you doing down here, and how did you know we needed help?" he asked suspiciously. Alphonse shrugged, clearly not willing to answer. Evelyn sighed and explained briefly, "We washed up on the shore during the storm and came into this cave for shelter. We decided to explore and… well, here we are."

Adrianna bowed her head to them. "Thank you so much," she said honestly. "We are here looking for a treasure that we think might be deep in this cave."

Alphonse suddenly became interested. "Treasure, you say?" he asked curiously. "Mind if we tag along? You could use all the help you can get after that Noivern attack." Evelyn shot him a sharp look, to which he carelessly shrugged.

"Of course you can," Adrianna said with a smile. "We do owe you for saving us, after all. A share of the treasure seems about fair. Right, Barn dear?" The Noctowl nodded and shook his wing with Evelyn's tail. "Glad to have you on board," he said politely.

"So what does the map say next?" asked Elf, unexpectedly sitting up and wide awake. Adrianna and Barn both blinked in astonishment. "I thought you were fast asleep?" Barn said, bewildered.

Elf grinned and hopped to her feet. "I got hit with my own Hypnosis," she replied snidely. "A Fire-type wouldn't be affected much if he was hit with his own Flamethrower, would he?"

The Gardevoir raised her eyebrows and took a look at the map, which was handed to her by Barn. "We don't have very far to go," she murmured, "so let's make haste. I don't want to have to risk our lives for any longer than I have to."

-.-.-.-.-.

An hour passed since the gang had left the chasm, and another hour had passed by the time they fought their way past the Drilbur dens. Those Ground-types had been more aggressive than they had expected, and it had taken quite a while before enough were beaten and the others decided to flee.

Barn led the way, following the map as usual. Elf hopped beside him, and Adrianna and Topaz followed close behind. Evelyn and Alphonse brought up the rear. After the Drilbur dens had been passed, Barn had told them, it was only a lengthy, twisty tunnel from there on out according to the map.

Then, all of a sudden, they turned a corner and there it was.

Each Pokemon entered the cavern with an expression of wonder on his or her face. The cavern wasn't particularly large – much smaller than the cave in which they had initially taken shelter within – but the walls were lined with piles of gold and gemstones. Despite the lack of sunlight, Adrianna's newly improvised torch gave off enough light to make the piles of treasure sparkle dimly. It was a magnificent sight that they simply couldn't take in all at once. Even Topaz, who had woken up sleepily just minutes before, gaped at it all.

"This is amazing," Evelyn breathed, slithering over to pick up and examine a particularly large amethyst. "That doesn't even begin to cover it," Alphonse replied, examining a jewel as well.

Adrianna gently set Topaz down on the floor, and he gingerly picked up a piece of gold that was already lying at his feet. The Ralts held it up in wonder, then tossed it up into the air joyfully, allowing it to make a tiny *plink* when it hit the ground. His mother knelt down beside him and gave him another piece, only for him to laugh and toss it as well. She smiled and kept handing him gold pieces for him to throw into the air.

Barn and Elf were at the back of the cavern, examining a perfectly cut, rectangular blue stone. It didn't seem to be a sapphire or even another jewel – instead it seemed almost metallic. As they looked at it, their reflections seemed to swirl and distort before their very eyes.

"What could this be?" Elf asked in wonder. "I don't know," replied Barn, "but it's mighty pretty, isn't it?" She nodded and picked it up with a wing. It fit on her wing almost exactly.

But there was a clear problem about all of this. "How in Arceus' name will we take this all back with us?" Alphonse asked. "We don't have any treasure bags or containers or anything like that!"

Everyone, who had gathered in a circle after examining all the treasure, frowned slightly and tried to think of a solution. But before they could, a black shape melted out of the tunnel from which they had entered.

"If you can't carry any of it, I'd be delighted to take it off of your hands!" the Honchkrow said happily, landing gracefully on the cave floor. She was followed by a contingent of ten Murkrow. Barn and Elf gasped. "Mara!" the Hoothoot said, shocked.

Mara nodded in their direction. "It's so nice to see the two of you again," she said with a grin. "Especially since you've led us right to the place we needed you to find! Ever wonder why I tried so hard to capture and imprison the two of you? Clawface and I made a deal – we get you so he can find this treasure, and he finds the Shard for me! A win-win situation in my opinion, but in this case, my Murkrow and I can lug all this back to our lair and trade Clawface for the Shard. Again, I'm very glad you were kind enough to lead me here!" The Murkrow cawed and clacked their beaks in agreement.

"Hey!" Alphonse said loudly, holding up a tentacle threateningly. "This is ours, because we found it fair and square! We aren't about to give it up to you lot of mangy feather dusters!"

Mara took a step back, offended. "We'll just have to fight it for you, then," she said in a deadly voice. "Any day of the week!" Evelyn challenged, moving to stand beside her friend.

Adrianna shuddered. _Dark-types again…_ she thought as she picked Topaz up and held him defensively.

The two owl Pokemon exchanged glances. Could they really fight off the Pokemon that had captured and locked them away this time? Especially because there was no escaping her this time?

And then the battle begun as Mara ordered her Murkrow to attack, and she swept off the ground to meet her foes at their head.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Herra belongs to Megadracosaurus. All members of Team Bloodsucker (including their species) as well as Iron Talon belong to me. If you must know, Iron Talon is a reference to Metal Beak from Guardians of Ga'Hoole.**

**Any ideas about how Barn and Co. are going to carry back that treasure? 'Cause I don't have any...**

**Review, send me a character or two, and see you soon!**

**Chapter Question #3: Which Fakemon of Team Bloodsucker do you like the most? Is it because of the design, concept, typing, etc? (Remember, you can check my Deviantart account for the drawings!)**


	14. Feathers Fly! Part 1

**Barn and Co. are fighting Mara and her Murkrow henchmen in the cavern with the treasure, and the Darkfeather gang has arrived on Fire Isle in search of Gaby's Shard! Can things get any worse, and will our respective parties be able to escape the Darkfeathers' greedy talons?**

**Read on to find out!**

**Victory fire: Please don't be impatient. I already got your character requests, and you certainly do not need to send them a second time. They will appear eventually, I just haven't found a place to put them in yet.**

-.-.-.-.-.

The village, the peaceful village that sat upon the grassy plains of Fire Isle, was subjected to the gentle glow of the setting sun as night began to fall. It was also a place of complete chaos.

Darkfeathers were everywhere, swooping down here, there, and everywhere. They ripped apart baskets and crates, tore through houses and shops, and made a mess of the entire village as they searched for the Shard they wanted. Villagers were also all over the place, either fleeing from the attacks of the Darkfeathers or fighting back to save their home.

Team Bloodsucker was at the center of the feathery maelstrom. Tesla fought valiantly against Herra the Skarmory. The huge Conductula was bigger than the bird herself, much more agile, and possessed a clear type advantage. On the downside, she couldn't fly, and didn't have steel-hard skin.

Drain sparred with Iron Talon, using his flexible centipede body to his advantage. Pulling his tail away from the Pidgeot's metal claws, he would instantaneously strike with his mandibles and then retreat again. He was incredibly fast and could flexible enough to perform two actions at the same time, but didn't possess any type advantages or disadvantages. He didn't have weapons or wings, either.

Burner seemed to be on even ground with Clawface. Both could fly, both of their types were neutral to each other, and they were fast and ferocious when it came to sparring in the air. They circled each other above the heat of the chaos that had befallen Fire Isle, occasionally striking out at each other but doing no real damage.

"Tell me, Clawface," Burner said casually as he lashed out with an Air Slash, "what do you want these Shards for, hmm? You seem awfully desperate if you are attacking villages and slaughtering innocents to get to it."

The Fearow laughed and attacked with a half-hearted Aerial Ace. "Are you kidding? I'd do that for an Oran Berry!" Then he did a spiraling loop to try and outflank Burner, ending the maneuver with a Drill Peck attack.

The Moskeeteor met him head on with his own Drill Peck. The two beaks met with a loud *clang* and bounced harmlessly off of each other. "Please, let us stop this bloodshed and talk this out like civilized Pokemon," Burner said calmly. "If indeed, there is still a shred of civility left in that pathetic heart of yours, Scarface."

That nickname was what pushed Clawface over the edge. He screamed in rage and unleashed a Hyper Beam. Any normal Pokemon would have been powerless to stop its progress, and would be forced to either try and flee or take it full force.

But Burner wasn't any normal Pokemon. He easily dodged, as nimble as even the smallest Bug Pokemon. "I thought not," he sighed, before increasing the vibration of his wings. "Bug Buzz!" he cried, as the speed and sound of his wings reached an ultrasonic pitch.

Clawface was knocked back by the sound wave, and then was unable to stop Burner from barraging him with multiple Air Slashes. He hit the ground, stunned, and Burner buzzed down to follow.

-.-.-.-.-.

On the other side of the village, Gaby, Cobalt, and Miranda of Team Eevui found themselves cornered by ten bird Pokemon in an alley between two buildings. There was the occasional crate full of Berries to be found in there as well, and such things proved troublesome when trying to dodge in an already tight space.

"Counter!" Cobalt yelled as a Pidgey zoomed in for a Wing Attack. A red aura blazed around him, providing him with sufficient protection to send the Pidgey bouncing off and into the pavement.

"T-Tackle!" Miranda quavered as she slammed into an incoming Starly. As the bird fell, she found herself under attack from a Spearow. The Eevee dodged its Peck attack, only to crash into a crate full of Chesto Berries and stumble. Instantly, the Spearow came around for another Peck attack.

"Miranda, watch out! Magical Leaf!" Gaby cried, conjuring several glowing leaves out of nowhere. The leaves flew at the Spearow, battering it enough for it to retreat away from Miranda. "Th-thanks!" she stammered, getting to her feet painfully. She then proceeded to Tackle the Spearow, sending it into a wall.

The bird Pokemon advanced, pushing against them and giving them less and less room to maneuver. A Swellow dove down at Cobalt with Aerial Ace, going for a super-effective hit. "Quick Attack!" the Riolu cried as he dodged it. "And now Sky Uppercut!" He jumped into the air and slammed his tiny fist into the Swellow's beak, prompting a squawk of pain from it as it soared up into the air, this time without the aid of its wings.

Gaby tossed a volley of Magical Leaves at the wall of sharp beaks and flapping wings, trying to give them cover. As the birds cringed, occupied with the flying leaves, the trio allowed themselves a brief moment to recover. "Double Team," Gaby whispered.

When the Flying-types recovered, they found themselves faced with an extra fifteen foes. Their heads turned every which way as they tried to deduce which was the real Kirlia hiding amongst the duplicates.

Miranda found a rare moment of bravery as she Tackled one distracted Natu, causing it to plummet into the crate of Chesto Berries with a *splat*. But her constant Tackling was wearing her down visibly, and sweat dripped from her face as she tried to keep her energy from fading.

"This… is… exhausting…" she panted, causing Cobalt to glance over at her after giving the Pidgey from before a Sky Uppercut. "Then use a different move!" he shouted over to her as the surprisingly resilient Normal-and-Flying-type came around for another attack. "Tackle's the only attack I know!" she cried back.

Cobalt facepalmed. "Oh, for the love of Arceus… throw fruit at them or something then!" He smashed into the Pidgey with Quick Attack, finally knocking it out of the fight.

The Eevee frantically dug her paw into the Chesto Berry crate and chucked a few at the birds. The Swellow that was hanging back in the fight after recklessly attacking Cobalt was busy trying to discern which Gaby was which, and thus got several Berries in the face. Trying to see through the Berry juice stinging its eyes, it didn't see Gaby taking a chance and firing a Focus Blast, a movement that was copied by the other Gabys.

The other birds hastened to get out of the way of the flurry of energy blasts. The Swellow was struck dead-on and fell to the ground, unconscious in an instant.

_Three down,_ thought Cobalt as he briefly engaged in a Quick Attack battle with a Tranquill. Unexpectedly, the big pigeon went into a Gust attack next, throwing the Riolu off. While he was dealing with the wind, the Tranquill swooped in and caught him with an Air Cutter. Cobalt cried out as the wind slammed into him and threw him into a stack of crates.

Instantly, the Tranquill dove to finish him off. But halfway there, it was splattered with a Chesto Berry to the beak, courtesy of Miranda. It changed its mind and went for the insolent Eevee, who quaked with fear as she groped around for another Berry. Instead, she found the skinny leg of the Natu from earlier.

"Here goes nothing! Natu, I choose you!" she cried, throwing the unconscious bird at the other bird. The Natu suddenly woke up and squealed in fear as it was hurled at the Tranquill, who squawked and tried to pull up. Too late – they collided with each other and fell to the ground, out of the fight.

Six birds were still well enough to fight. Gaby had dispelled her illusions and now hurled Focus Blasts at any Flying-type that approached. Right now, though, her focus (ha ha) was on an Altaria that had just joined the fight. However, it wasn't going well – every Focus Blast was blocked by a Cotton Guard attack, and the Altaria would strike back with Dragonbreath. Gaby was quick enough not to get hit, but she couldn't stay lucky forever.

Meanwhile, Miranda kept herself busy by throwing Berries at the birds, which usually surprised them long enough for Cobalt to strike them hard. Noticing Gaby's danger, she hurled a Chesto at the Altaria, hoping to distract it long enough for the Kirlia to hit it. However, it splatted harmlessly against the Dragon-and-Flying-type's pure white wings.

Needless to say, the big blue stain on the puffy, cloud-like appendage was enough to drive the vain Humming Pokemon berserk.

With a screech, the Altaria shot past Gaby and headed right for Miranda. Once again, the Eevee rummaged desperately in the crate for another Berry – which probably wouldn't do anything anyway. But hey, at least she was willing to go down with a fruitless fight (pun intended).

But, as the Altaria bore down on her, Miranda's paw clasped around something that was definitely _not_ a Chesto Berry. It felt cool and hard like ice, and carried an inner energy that Miranda could instinctively feel within her.

In the span of a split second, the Eevee's unstable genetic structure began to mutate and change drastically. The enraged Altaria stopped, wide-eyed, as a full-grown Vaporeon glared back at it defiantly.

"Joke's on you, Beaky," smirked Miranda, charging her newfound energy in her mouth. "Aurora Beam!"

The rainbow-like blast smashed into the Altaria's face and sent it spinning off into two of its comrades, dragging them down with it.

Meanwhile, Cobalt had succeeded in wrangling a Dodrio and securing its three heads with rope. "Hop on, guys!" he called from the flightless bird's back. "We're going to find Luke and the others and then get off this island while we can!"

Gaby and Miranda both nodded and jumped onto the Dodrio's back with Cobalt. They each grabbed a rope and snapped them like reins. "Yah! Giddyap!" said Cobalt, and the Dodrio sprinted off across the chaotic village.

-.-.-.-.-.

Elsewhere in the village, Luke was stuck against a building by four Flying-types – a Drifloon, Farfetch'd, and two Pidgeotto. Aiding him were two members of Team Eevui, Okami and Amanita. They were busy defending two other Eevee that had made the mistake of wandering out into the midst of the chaos.

The larger Eevee, the male, was guarding his sister from the attacking birds, Tackling aside any Flying-type that came too close to her. Occasionally he would use Sand-Attack instead, throwing them off long enough for Okami or Luke to beat them back.

"Fire Blast!" Luke cried, sending a blazing, star-shaped blast of fire forth. One of the Pidgeotto wasn't quick enough to dodge and burst into flames. It screeched and hit the ground, where it remained motionless and the fire was left to eat away at its feathers.

Okami noticed the Farfetch'd going in for a strike at the other two Eevee. She lunged forward with a Bite attack, catching its outstretched leek in her mouth and flinging the Wild Duck Pokemon a fair distance away.

"Hey… Okami…" said the exhausted male Eevee. "If… we survive… and drive these… birds away…" He paused momentarily to catch his breath and use a Sand-Attack to drive the other Pidgeotto away. He continued wearily, "Can… my sister and I… join Team Eevui…?"

The Sylveon spared him a glance as she used Bite to fling the Pidgeotto away as well. The young male had spirit, and was desperately trying to protect his little sister from the oppressing Darkfeathers. If spirit and heart weren't enough to make a rescue team, Okami didn't know what was. She nodded and replied breathlessly, "Yes… if we survive… you can join us."

The young Eevee grinned at her and Tackled the Farfetch'd, which had been preparing to strike Okami. "Thanks," he said, coughing from all the sand he had kicked up during the battle. "Name's Jowl, by the way."

Okami nodded and used another Bite, this time on the Drifloon. Its Aftermath ability activated, and it exploded in her face. Stunned and badly hurt, she saw the Balloon Pokemon drift over to attack Luke, who was now facing an additional Pidgeotto that had arrived.

_How long can we keep this up?_ the Sylveon wondered. _If we don't get help soon, we'll be demolished!_

-.-.-.-.-.

Far away from the battles that raged on Fire Isle, a similar fight was taking place deep underground. In the small treasure chamber, it seemed filled with nothing but the uncontrolled fury of battle.

Alphonse fearlessly faced five Murkrow that swarmed around him, incessantly striking at his head and annoying him to no end. Evelyn fought against the other five, effortlessly sliding away from their attacks and striking back fiercely. And then there was Adrianna, Barn, and Elf, all battling Mara the Honchkrow while little Topaz hid nearby.

"Dark Pulse!" their adversary cried, firing a shadowy blast from her beak. Barn shot between Adrianna and the incoming projectile and set up a Light Screen. The Dark Pulse bounced harmlessly off and exploded in midair, showering them with smoke and dust.

"Thunderbolt!" cried Adrianna, jumping out from behind Barn and blasting Mara with a bolt of electricity. There was a loud buzzing as it struck the Honchkrow, and she landed on the ground as the lightning sizzled across her body. "Take Down!" Barn yelled, streaking down to attack their now helpless foe. Even as the electricity died down, he collided and threw her against a stalagmite with a horrible crashing sound.

Meanwhile, Alphonse was busy enduring the repeated Peck and Wing Attacks he was receiving from the five Murkrow. Finally, his temper wore down and he struck the flock with a powerful Ice Beam. The quintet was frozen in mid-air, and the newly created block of ice fell to the ground with a thud.

Evelyn had a similarly easy success against her foes – when they grouped together to perform a singular assault on her, she sprang into action. "Thunder Wave!" she called, firing a bolt of blue lightning from her tail. The electricity jumped from Murkrow to Murkrow when it struck the head of the flock, and thus they were all instantly paralyzed.

One Murkrow fell toward Evelyn, and she snatched it out of the air with her tail and flung it over her shoulder. The Dark-and-Flying-type landed in a pile of treasure, and it collapsed over him in a huge tumble of gold and colorful jewels. The strange metallic blue thing that Barn and Elf had found disappeared into the pile as well.

"That was easy," Alphonse remarked as he and Evelyn went to stand beside the others. Topaz crawled gingerly out from his hiding place only to fall to the ground. Adrianna bent down to pick him up, but a dark blur shot in front of her before she could. She fell back with a startled cry, and Topaz disappeared.

Mara laughed nastily as she soared through the tunnel and out of the cavern, with the wailing Ralts clutched tightly in her talons.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Sadly, there are no Klondike bars in the world of Pokemon. So, Clawface could not say that he'd kill Burner for one of those. That makes me sad.**

**Also, I got the idea of the three of them riding Dodrio from the movie "Rango", where they ride roadrunners. Beep beep!**

**Now, I just want to say that although I've been cranking these chapters out at a phenomenal rate, they're going to come more slowly from now on. I need to start studying for driving lessons, and I also have other fanfics that I need to focus on. Not to mention that my parents are going to force me to get some exercise this summer (ugh, physical activity… *shudder*).**

**I'll still try to publish chapters as frequently as I can, but you just need to hold on a little longer for each one, alright?**

**Part two will be published as quickly as possible, so review in the meantime and wait patiently!**

**Chapter Question #4: So far we've seen the Darkfeathers, three Life Stealers, and a smidgen of the Abyssal Raiders – Flying, Dark, and Water-types. What's your idea for a criminal gang and what type would they be? (Please be original and don't use Ghost…)**


	15. Feathers Fly! Part 2

**And now we get to see if our respective parties get to escape their foes! Who will live, and who will die? Will the Darkfeathers get what they want?**

**Let us see in these fights of epic proportions!**

-.-.-.-.-.

Celosia hated fighting. It had been a fight between Pokemon that had caused the disaster that killed her family, and because of that painful memory, the Glaceon avoided battling and violence whenever she could.

So, when the Darkfeather gang had attacked, Celosia had fled into the crowd, heading straight for Nursey's hut. She knew that there would inevitably be Pokemon in need of healing when this was over, and thus the Audino would need all the help she could get. Also, Celosia wanted to watch over the fossil Pokemon there, just in case they woke up and needed everything explained to them.

But the main reason was that the Glaceon hated violence. She could not stress that enough.

She burst through the flaps of the hut to find Nursey already milling about, all willy-nilly, desperately taking out medicines and other items. But as Celosia looked around, she could only see Tortuga and the Archen, and no other patients.

"Um, Nursey? What's going on in here?" she asked uncertainly. The Audino didn't even look up from her duties as she ran around the hut gathering things up and putting them away again frantically. "There's a Darkfeather attack going on out there!" she exclaimed worriedly, as if it needed pointing out. "I need to be prepared for any injured Pokemon that make there way in here! Ohhhh, it's so chaotic out there. How could anyone survive such a mess?" To punctuate Nursey's remark, a muffled explosion sounded from somewhere in the distance.

"Need any help?" Celosia offered. Nursey, holding a ridiculous amount of items in her arms, finally looked up at her and shook her head. "I appreciate the offer, Cell dear," the Audino said, "but I really think I have everything under control. Don't worry, I have it all covered~!"

But just as she said this, she stepped on the Archen's outstretched arm and tripped over it, falling to the ground and sending everything in her arms scattering around the floor.

"YEOWCH!" came the loud squawk. Celosia could have been knocked over by that squawk. Indeed, it was the Archen, sitting up and looking wide awake as if he had never been in a coma!

"Watch where yer goin', ya clumsy, bumblin' moron! Tread on me arm again and I'll strangle ya with yer own feelers!" Pteryx yelled, hopping to his feet and shaking his fist. Nursey looked simultaneously shocked at his revival and put off by his language.

Celosia stepped forward and reprimanded lightly, "Is that any way to speak to a lady?" He gave her a quizzical glance, then looked at the Audino for a long time.

"Guess yer right, miss," he said at last, then added to Nursey, "Sorry 'bout that, ma'am. I didn't realize that there was an accident." She accepted Pteryx's apology with a smile and nod, then busied herself with picking up all the scattered items.

"Who are ya, missy?" the Archen asked, swiveling his head to once more face Celosia. She groaned inwardly at the thought of having to introduce herself again – _This is becoming somewhat of a pain,_ she thought – but complied. "My name is Celosia, Cell for short. You're on Fire Isle of the Elemental Islets, which is" – another explosion, louder this time, sounded somewhere in the distance – "currently under attack by the Darkfeather gang."

Pteryx squawked with outrage and alarm. "Darkfeathers here?" he almost shrieked. "Why didn't ya say so? Lemme at 'em! I still owe ol' Clawface some pain, the scoundrel!" He hopped about impatiently, gesturing for the Glaceon to move out of his way so he could leave the hut.

She didn't budge away from the flaps leading outside. "You need to stay here," Celosia cautioned. "You've just come out of a coma and you need to take it easy. Rushing into battle will just get you the same treatment, or worse. Just rest for a while and I can explain everything that's been going on."

By now the Archen had noticed Tortuga, unconscious on the ground near the far wall. He dashed over to him and examined him from every angle, with Celosia following him. When she stopped beside the sleeping Prototurtle, Pteryx was giving her a defiant glare from his beady eyes.

"You've got until my friend wakes up," he said seriously. "Then, the two of us are goin' out there to find me other friends, make sure they're safe, and then get revenge on Clawface."

-.-.-.-.-.

"TOPAZ!" wailed Adrianna, already rushing for the exit after the fleeing Honchkrow. Evelyn followed close behind, unwilling to leave the Gardevoir without backup. The two owls shot after their nemesis as well, and despite himself, Alphonse decided to help as well.

But by the time they got to the entrance, the sound of Mara's laughter, and the baby Ralts' crying, had faded away to nothing. They were staring into a black, empty tunnel, and nothing more.

Adrianna didn't let that deter her. She rushed blindly into the tunnel, desperate to save her child. Barn and Elf flew alongside her, not just because their eyes were used to seeing in darkness, but also because they did not want to see Mara get away with another heinous crime.

Soon it had turned pitch black, as they had left their only torch behind in the cave. The three didn't know if Evelyn and Alphonse were following, and they didn't look behind them to make sure. All that mattered was saving Topaz and stopping his kidnapper.

Just then, there was a flash of light that emanated from around the next bend in the tunnel, a loud buzzing sound, and a shriek of pain. And then there was nothing but silence and pitch blackness once more.

A dim illumination appeared behind them, and it turned out to be Alphonse and Evelyn, with the Tentacruel holding onto the torch. Without a moment's hesitation, Adrianna snatched it and dashed off around the bend in the tunnel to see what had happened.

The sound of her startled gasp brought the others running after her. And what they saw was something that no one could have expected.

Adrianna was standing there, a hand to her mouth in shock. Illuminated by the torch was the black shape of Mara, crumpled on the ground as if struck dead. Her feathers were steaming, and smelled faintly burnt. Topaz was sitting innocently on the ground, gazing up at his mother with a big smile on his face. Bolts of electricity would occasionally crackle around him.

"What… the Arceus… just happened…?" Alphonse asked, almost at a loss for words. The Ralts crawled clumsily over to Adrianna and pulled on her dress playfully, making happy little baby sounds. Clearly numb, she bent down and picked Topaz up, and he quickly fell asleep just like that.

"Seriously, what was that?" Elf asked, eyes wide as she regarded her fallen enemy. Adrianna shook her head. "I don't know," she replied hesitantly. "Topaz… I don't even know what his attacks are, he's so young…"

Evelyn's eyes widened. "Are you saying that you think _your child_ did that?" she asked incredulously. The Gardevoir didn't answer, just made sure that Topaz was secure in her arms.

Eventually, Barn decided to break the silence. "What do we do with her?" he asked, indicating Mara by pointing at her with his talon. "We take her with us, what else?" Alphonse said. "The Guardians are going to have a hefty bounty on her head. She is the leader of the Darkfeather gang, after all."

The Tentacruel grabbed Mara's body with two of his tentacles and put her down on top of his head. "Now let's go," he added, pointing off into the darkness.

"Wait," Elf said. "What about the treasure? We can't just leave it – we discovered it, so it's ours!"

Adrianna nodded. "It wouldn't be fair to have risked our lives on this journey and not get something out of it," she reasoned. "But seeing as we have no bags, we should only take what we can carry."

Everyone nodded and made their way back to the cavern. Frozen and paralyzed Murkrow were stepped over or otherwise kicked out of the way. Everyone took a handful of treasure to call their own. Alphonse ended up taking two handfuls, as Evelyn didn't have any arms. She ended up volunteering to drag Mara's body behind her, for which Alphonse thanked her. Barn took one large scoop for him and Elf to share, and held the pile gingerly in his wings. Adrianna ended up using Psychic to levitate her part of the treasure in front of her, and took a few extra trinkets for Topaz and Gaby as well.

"What about the Murkrow?" Elf asked hesitantly. "Shouldn't we take them too?" Everyone shook their heads. "Carrying eleven prisoners with us plus treasure?" Evelyn said. "Too impractical. The Murkrow are only lackeys, so just leave them be."

With that, the group walked out of the cave, their adventure finished.

But since they didn't bother to look back, they didn't see the last Murkrow dig himself out of the pile of treasure he had been unearthed in, clutching a metallic blue gemstone in his beak.

-.-.-.-.-.

Luke and Team Eevui were completely surrounded. It had been bad at first, but as the sun went down and the only light came from the fires beginning to devour the village, they ended up being attacked by an extra three foes – a Taillow and two Staravia. _We're getting creamed!_ Luke thought frantically as he used V-Create on the Drifloon, smacking it back away from Okami.

Jowl ferociously Tackled the Taillow, smacking it away from his sister, apparently known as Sinestra according to him. Said Eevee cowered behind him, looking much too frightened to even take a step out into the thick of things. Luke remembered when he had acted like that, back when he had first met Clawface, but that didn't matter now. His friends were in danger, and needed him – that helped to give the Victini bravery enough in order to fight against the Darkfeathers.

But just then, Okami fell to a savage Slash attack from the Farfetch'd. She hit the ground with a cry of pain, and blood oozed down her injured leg and onto the ground. Sensing weakness, the Farfetch'd moved in to end her.

"Not so fast! V-CREATE!" Luke cried, and sent a sizzling wave of fire the duck's way. The Farfetch'd squawked in alarm and pain as he was blown into the house behind him and set aflame. That was the second time Luke had been forced to kill an opponent – he hoped it would be the last time.

Upon seeing their comrade destroyed, the other Flying-types pressed their assault, forcing the fighting quartet farther against the wall. Their backs were literally pressing against it as they desperately tried to fight back.

"Any last words?" huffed Amanita, dodging a Wing Attack. "It was nice knowing you guys," Luke said, throwing up a Protect in order to block a Shadow Ball.

But then, unexpectedly, came a familiar voice that Luke never expected to hear.

"Dragonbreath!" it called, and a pink blast of energy violently exploded in the midst of the Darkfeathers, scattering them momentarily. "Water Gun!" called another voice, and a jet of water crashed into the remaining dazed Flying-types.

With the coast temporarily clear of Darkfeathers, Luke was able to see two familiar figures walking up the path toward them. His heart leapt – it was Pteryx and Tortuga! They were all right!

The Victini squealed with delight and ran up to tightly hug the Archen. "Whoa, not so fast, sonny!" Pteryx said. "I'm happy ta see you too, lad, but would ya mind lettin' go and allowin' me ta take a breath?"

At last Luke let go, and ran to hug Tortuga instead. He took it significantly better than Pteryx, with a wide smile and a pat on the Victini's head, but both of them knew that Pteryx had indeed enjoyed that hug. He was glad that his friend was safe and sound.

"Hey, guys!" a voice called, surprising everyone. It perhaps surprised Team Eevui most of all – it was familiar, yet unfamiliar.

Out of a huge plume of smoke sprinted a Dodrio, with three figures sitting on its back. Okami recognized the Riolu Cobalt and the Kirlia Gaby, but who was the Vaporeon?

It was only when the Dodrio stopped and the three Pokemon jumped down from its back did Okami realize the truth. "Miranda?" she gasped, and Amanita gasped as well as she recognized her sister. "Yep, it's me!" Miranda said cheerfully, swishing her new finned tail proudly and flexing her head fins.

Now that there were no more Darkfeathers to immediately worry about, Jowl and Sinestra came out into the open. The male Eevee froze at the sight of the Vaporeon, with something like awe in his eyes. Gaby glanced once at him and instantly recognized why he was so affected by the young, pretty Eeveelution. Even without being blessed with the ability to detect emotions, blushing was always a giveaway.

Introductions were quickly made, including toward Pteryx and Gaby, who hadn't formally met up until this moment. Jowl and Sinestra were also introduced, although admittedly the introductions were made by Okami and Amanita – Sinestra was too nervous, and Jowl suddenly seemed to be reluctant to talk.

"Now look here," Gaby said. "The Darkfeathers have almost destroyed the entire village, and they won't stop until they find… whatever it is they're here for." She stopped herself just in time, before she gave away her most precious secret. "Is there any safe way off of this island?"

As if on cue, Team Bloodsucker appeared, all looking badly beaten up. Tesla was limping slightly, but gritting her proverbial teeth and acting as if the injury wasn't there. "We have to get out of here, my friends," Burner said grimly. "The Darkfeather gang is tearing this village apart. They will not leave survivors. We must go."

Pteryx piped up indignantly. "How're we gonna do that, mister?" he asked. "There ain't no way off this island except fer swimmin', and somethin' tells me that only Miranda and Tortuga here have some experience with that."

Drain shook his head. "We have a boat anchored near the coast," he hissed. "If we can reach it safely, then we'll be able to get out of here and back home."

Okami hesitantly said, "But… this is our home." Jowl, Amanita, and Sinestra all nodded. "Not anymore it's not," Cobalt said grimly. "My home was destroyed as well. If you want to survive, you're going to have to leave."

There was a loud shriek from farther away, and Team Bloodsucker seemed to ready themselves. "We didn't manage to kill any of our foes," Burner said, crawling on top of Tesla and hooking his legs into her sides. "Clawface, Iron Talon, and Herra are probably going to pursue us. We have to make it safely to our boat and back to the Guardians. It is no longer safe here."

Team Eevui exchanged hesitant glances. Another shriek pealed into the night air, closer this time. "We have to go!" pleaded Luke. "They'll kill you if you stay behind!"

But just then, Clawface exploded through the thickening smoke, followed by his allies. Everyone was spurred into action, not wanting the infamous murderer to get his talons on them. "Follow us!" Burner cried, lifting off into the air with a great thrumming sound. He picked up Tesla and flew off, heading for the forest that bordered the village. Tortuga just managed to grab Tesla's leg before he, too, was carried off.

As quickly as they could, Gaby and Cobalt boarded their Dodrio. Amanita followed them, and with a snap of the ropes, the Triple Bird Pokemon dashed off after the Moskeeteor.

Pteryx and Drain followed close behind, keeping pace with the Dodrio. Behind them were Okami, Miranda, Jowl, and Sinestra. But just behind them came a swarm of bird Pokemon, ready to snatch them up and bring them to their fate. Clawface was at the head, enraged and unwilling to see them – specifically Burner, Pteryx, and Gaby especially – escape. The sight only made them run faster.

They reached the tree-line well before the pursuing Darkfeathers did. Instantly, bushes, branches, and twigs assailed them as they made their way down to the coast. Gaby, Amanita, and Cobalt rapidly sped ahead on their Dodrio mount, leaving the others eating their dust. Miranda, Drain, and Pteryx ran after them as fast as they could, knowing that there was no chance of fighting back against the Darkfeathers, which numbered at least forty. _Arceus, how many are there? _Pteryx asked himself. _Sounds like they got the entire flock on our tail!_

Behind them ran Okami as well as Sinestra and Jowl. Although they had a significant amount of distance put between them and their chasers, they knew that the gang could make up that distance in an instant if they slowed even a fraction. The only sounds they could hear were their harsh breathing and the thunderous flapping of eighty wings above the trees. They could barely see a meter in front of them in the darkness.

Jowl gritted his teeth as two Pidgey suddenly burst from the trees in front of him. He ducked under their outstretched talons and watched as they smashed into each other. Grinning, the Eevee picked up the pace, nudging his sister gently forward and goading her to do the same.

But just then, Sinestra stumbled on something. She got her foot stuck in a Patrat burrow, and there was a sick snapping sound as she tripped on it. Crying out weakly in pain, the little Eevee hit the ground with one paw splayed out at a weird angle.

"Sinestra!" cried Jowl, already stopping and moving forward to help. But before he could get to her, a blue flash suddenly shot into view. With a startled yell, Jowl felt himself being picked up by the scruff of his neck along with his sister.

It was Celosia! She had decided to help after all!

The Glaceon raced after the other Eeveelutions already far ahead. She caught up rapidly to Miranda and Okami, earning glances of acknowledgement and thanks from the two of them. Giving them brief nods, the three increased their speed even further as the sound of almost a hundred wings grew louder above them.

All of a sudden, the group burst out of the trees and into the moonlight. They found themselves on a calm, serene beach, with a huge boat floating in the water some distance away from the shore. They only faltered a moment as they saw Drain and Miranda swimming smoothly toward the ship with Pteryx on the Vaporeon's back.

"Ice Beam!" Celosia mumbled through her mouthful of fur. A crackling beam of icy lightning erupted from her forehead and ran across the water in front of her, freezing it and creating a gradually lengthening ice bridge.

But just then, the sky turned into a flurry of flapping wings. Several bird Pokemon dove down from the sky at them, talons and beaks ready to tear them apart.

"Moonblast!" yelled Okami, releasing several floating orbs from her ribbons. The orbs shot upward and exploded when they hit something, causing several Flying-types to drop into the water. One particularly large Ducklett hit the ice bridge, causing it to crack and shatter.

All of them fell into the cold water, but Celosia didn't loosen her hold on the Eevee. She ended up completely underwater while the two siblings floated at the top, gasping. There was a sudden thrumming sound in the air, and Burner descended from the sky, plucking Jowl and Sinestra from the water. Celosia found herself being lifted into the air with nothing but her teeth to hang on.

"Don't drop, now!" the Moskeeteor called as below him, Miranda swam over to assist Okami. The Glaceon tried her best to hang on, but her teeth were beginning to hurt badly, and she felt her grip slipping.

Burner called again, "We're almost to the boat! Keep hanging!" A note of fear entered his voice as he struggled to fly with their added weight, and as a sudden, short drop on his flight caused Celosia to loosen her grip the tiniest fraction.

And then, she fell with a scream, splashing into the water loudly.

"Celosia!" Sinestra and Jowl cried fearfully. Miranda was helping Okami aboard when she saw the Glaceon's situation. She couldn't do a thing as she saw one bird streak down from the sky to grab her, wind whistling through its pointy feathers.

"Go! Go tell the Guardians about this! Stay safe!" screamed Celosia, and she screamed again as Herra the Skarmory clamped her talons around her and lifted her into the midst of the terrible flock.

Now with everyone aboard, Drain took the wheel while Burner pulled up the anchor. The ship began to move out into the open ocean, but Clawface wasn't willing to let them go. With a horrible, sky-shattering cry, he launched himself at the boat with his good eye blazing and a good number of cronies following. In the weak light of the moon, the shadowy Fearow was a frightening sight.

"Electroweb!" the Conductula shouted, spitting a large ball of sparking silk. It flew right toward the incoming mob and then opened into a huge spiderweb to snatch them. The birds screeched as they suddenly plummeted down into the water.

*BZZZZRRRRRT!*

There was a massive flash of light as Tesla's electrically charged web landed in the shallows. The Flying-types' screeches became ones of pure agony as fatal amperes of lightning ran amok through their bodies. And as suddenly as they started, the screams stopped, and the only sounds were the shrieks and caws of the retreating Darkfeathers.

Silence descended on Team Bloodsucker's boat. Okami looked perhaps the most stricken as she gazed up at the sky toward the dark cloud that was the Darkfeather gang. Tears filled her eyes as she thought of her friend – the Glaceon whom she always fought with but considered a friend anyways.

But now, she was gone. Okami opened her mouth and murmured to herself, the uttered name being blown away on the wind.

"Celosia… Cell…"

-.-.-.-.-.

**Newly-evolved Miranda has herself a new admirer, Pteryx is back and kickin' butt once more, and Topaz took down a Honchkrow all by himself! But things aren't exactly looking up – Celosia sacrificed herself for Pokemon she barely even knew, and our fleeing heroes' fate is uncertain…**

**Review and maybe send me a character, and I will see you soon for the next chapter!**

**Chapter Question #5: Which Pokemon (or team of them) in this story do you think you'd get along with best?**


	16. Mara's Fortune

**ATTENTION: OC submission is over come next chapter. This is your last chance to submit your OCs into this story! For those of you who have submitted OCs but haven't seen them in this story yet – be patient, I want to make sure of our current characters' fates before I introduce any new significant plotlines.**

-.-.-.-.-.

The daylight hit them like a fist. Alphonse shaded his eyes with a tentacle as the group stepped into the light of the fading day. Moisture was steadily dripping from the mouth of the cave, many puddles on the ground reflected the orange sun, and the air smelled warm and damp.

The storm was over, and everything was peaceful once more. Adrianna sighed to herself as the sudden exposure to the sun caused Topaz to yawn and wake up again. They were safe, and that was what mattered most to her.

"What a productive day," Alphonse said, cheerful for once. "We caught a criminal and got some treasure out of it too!" Evelyn nodded, in good spirits as well, not to mention happy that her friend was too.

Barn and Elf were happy as well. This was what rescue teams did – brought evil Pokemon to justice and discovered unknown treasures. _I guess we're one more step on the way to becoming Guardians,_ Barn thought. It wasn't enough anymore just to find these legendary warriors – now Barn thought it was necessary to actually join them and help them fight against the growing tides of chaos.

"What are we going to do now?" asked Elf. "We've got a criminal to deliver and piles of treasure in our hands, with nothing to store it all in." Adrianna raised a hand and said, "I can help take care of the treasure – I can head back to the village and buy treasure bags for each of us."

Alphonse nodded and picked up the still-unconscious Honchkrow. "And that leaves her," he said, disdain tainting his voice. "Either we can find a rescue team to take her to some prison, or we can go to VulcanaCity and deliver her ourselves."

Adrianna frowned. "A rescue team in Seaside Village will be hard to find," she pointed out. "It's normally pretty peaceful around here." Evelyn got her attention with a wave of her tail and replied, "Maybe, but that storm was pretty fierce. A rescue team might actually be on their way here to assess the damage done and to make sure no one had been hurt. Then we can simply hand over the wad of feathers over there."

Elf spoke up again. "So do we wait, or do we take action and go to the city?"

No one had the chance to answer, as Mara's eyes suddenly snapped open.

"Dark Pulse!" she shrieked, causing everyone to jump. She blasted Alphonse with a shadowy pulse of energy, causing him to stumble and fall to the ground with a pained grunt. Treasure scattered everywhere as he dropped what he had been carrying. Instantly, the Honchkrow soared high into the air and flew out of sight.

"Ow…" muttered Alphonse, rubbing his head. Evelyn helped him up, earning a thankful nod from the Tentacruel.

"And there she goes," Barn sighed. Elf groaned and said, "I thought we had her!"

Evelyn looked up toward the orange sky, where Mara was little more than a black speck. "Well," she said conclusively, "now we know where we're going."

Everyone looked at the Dragonair, who didn't avert her gaze from the fleeing bird. Finally, she turned her attention to them and said seriously, "We're going to find the Guardians."

Although Adrianna felt that such a journey would be even longer and more dangerous than today's expedition, and that she and Topaz had had enough adventures for one day and that they needed a rest, she found herself agreeing with Evelyn. _Things have been getting out of hand recently,_ she thought privately. _First those bullies the other day, then that storm… it's a mess._

"You're right," the Gardevoir said, startling everyone. "We need to tell them about everything that's happened. That there's an escaped criminal on the loose, for one."

Barn nodded his head furiously. "And about the Darkfeather gang's plans, which Elf and I uncovered," he added. All the while, his heart was pounding. _We're going to find the Guardians at last!_ he thought excitedly.

"And about the fate of Diamond Island," finished Alphonse, voice soft.

Everything instantly went silent.

"…Wh-what did you say?" Adrianna asked in a fearful tone. Alphonse glanced around, unsure of what he had said wrong. "Um… I said that we should tell the Guardians about the fate of Diamond Island…" he repeated uncertainly.

Adrianna's naturally white face turned paler. "What happened to Diamond Island?" she asked, a note of desperation entering her voice. Barn and Elf looked from one to the other in confusion – they knew nothing of the world outside of their valley, and thus had no idea as to what this "Diamond Island" was.

"There was a terrible earthquake there only a few days ago," Evelyn said sadly. "The island is sinking, or perhaps it has already sunken. Me, Alphonse, and our friend Terra were the only survivors."

A terrible feeling took hold of Adrianna. "My… my daughter…" she said, tears coming to her eyes. Topaz looked up at her, sensing his mother's intense sadness almost instantly. He, too, began to tear up.

"My d-daughter went to Diamond Island only yesterday," the Gardevoir said quietly, voice breaking. "We didn't know anything about the earthquake, and she just s-sailed off… and then that s-storm hit… she c-could be anywhere! She could b-be in d-danger!" She broke down crying, and Topaz instinctively joined in, tiny body wracked with equally tiny sobs.

Evelyn's face softened and she moved to comfort the distraught Psychic-types. "It'll be fine," she soothed. "You have to trust – you have to _hope_ – that your daughter will be alright. Who knows, maybe she's perfectly fine and is trying to make her way back to SeasideVillage. This is something we can ask the Guardians about, maybe they can help us look for her."

Adrianna solemnly nodded. As a mother, she would never stop worrying, but as the Dragonair said, she would have to tell herself that Gaby would be all right without her. She hugged Topaz tightly, and the Ralts sensed that his mother was feeling a little better. He stopped sniffling and hugged her back, unwilling to let go.

"Well then," Barn said, "let's go to the city and find the Guardians. Things are going more and more out of control, and only they can set everything right again."

-.-.-.-.-.

Speaking of setting things right – across the ocean on Deepdark Island, Wyvern and his new friends were having trouble doing that.

They deduced that the only way to safely escape the barren island was to fix the _Tranquility _and sail away to some place more hospitable. The only thing was, the main damage was to the hull, and Deepdark Island had precious few trees.

The reason for that lay in the island's affiliation with the Ocean Faction. Ever since the massive battle between Groudon and Kyogre a few hundred years ago, the Continent Pokemon had dried up Deepdark Island in an attempt to slay Kyogre's people. It had nearly worked, and resulted in the remaining people fleeing to points all over the mainland. The drought had wreaked severe havoc on Deepdark Island, and to make matters worse, the Ocean Faction was now only an old tale. They were thought to be extinct, and because of this, Kyogre felt no need to repair the damage Groudon had caused. Nowadays, this island was more or less a death sentence for shipwrecked sailors.

Wyvern told Cenric and Terra all this as they traveled far inland in their search for suitable wood – on second thought, their search for any kind of wood, suitable or not. They had actually found a tiny grove of stunted trees some hours ago, and had made another trip back to the _Tranquility_ to dump their not-so-heavy load on the beach for later use. Now, they had trekked to the near center of the island, a journey that had taken them many more hours.

As the sun vanished behind the horizon and darkness claimed the sky, Terra used her tail flame to light the way in their search for trees. "I wouldn't be surprised if we ended all life on this island in our search for wood," Cenric muttered. Wyvern replied, "Wow, I never thought of that. How ironic – an extinct Pokemon dooming an ecosystem to extinction."

He chuckled nervously, but he indeed felt just a little bit guilty. Just a little bit. They were only trees, after all.

"What ecosystem?" asked Terra without even a bit of sarcasm. "I haven't even seen any Bug-types!" She held her tail in front of her and squinted, trying to see farther.

Suddenly, Cenric stretched and yawned loudly. "Why don't we call it a night?" the Buizel asked. "It's going to take us a while to get back to the boat from this distance, and anyway, there might not even be any more trees on this island."

Wyvern shook his head. "We don't have a lot left of this island to search," he responded. "I predict that it'll take us only until midnight to make our way around the island and head back to the wreck. Then we can sleep in and get started on the boat when we wake up."

Terra nodded and continued walking, blue bandana standing out against her orange skin in the light of the flame. Cenric grumbled and fingered his locket, something he usually did when he was bored, lonely, or nervous. Wyvern brought up the rear, keen eyes relatively unaffected by the gathering darkness.

They soon found themselves in a strange quarry of oddly shaped, cream-colored boulders. But they didn't really notice the strange rocks – for standing tall amongst them were tall trees, barren of leaves but pleasing to the eye nonetheless. There was also the occasional shrub, like the kind one would find in a desert.

"Look at the size of these!" Terra exclaimed, trying to use her flame to see the tops. But her tail was too small to light up the tree all the way to their peaks. "We'll have no trouble patching the _Tranquility_ up with these," Wyvern commented, running his claws along the rough bark.

Cenric just yawned and plopped down against a tree. "I'm getting some sleep," he said with finality. "If we're going to be lugging these monsters all the way back down to the beach, I want to be rested." He curled up and almost immediately started snoring.

The Archeops nodded, too tired himself to argue. He effortlessly climbed up the tree and perched himself on a sturdy limb. Within minutes, he was sleeping as well.

Terra took a while longer to fall asleep. She couldn't help thinking about her friend Cobalt for some reason, and how she wished the Riolu was here with her. But he was dead – she knew that if he had survived the earthquake then he would have joined her, Alphonse, and Evelyn. She sniffed loudly and tried to get some sleep.

The Charmander indeed fell asleep after a minute or so. Her last sight before she drifted off was one of the odd-looking boulders surrounding them. If she felt that unmistakable feeling that it was watching her, she was too tired to acknowledge it.

-.-.-.-.-.

Mara was at last given the chance to rest her weary wings when a comfortable-looking ledge made its presence known as she flew over the crests of the mountains surrounding the Darkfeathers' valley. She had been flying until the moon was fully above the horizon, and the aftereffects of that Shock Wave attack weren't helping. The Honchkrow cried in pain as a sudden jolt of electricity hit her, then vanished an instant later.

Inwardly, she was seething. How in the name of Giratina had that pathetic little Ralts, indeed too young to even talk, incapacitated her so easily? It made her feel like a puny little Pidgey, and of course, as a Honchkrow, she hated feeling weak. It would take a long time before her pride recovered from that attack.

She landed exhaustedly on the mountain ledge, breathing in great amounts of the chilly alpine air. The cold stung her lungs, but for now it didn't matter. Mara knew that she needed to get her strength back if she were to fly all the way back to the Darkfeathers' hideout, and what better substance to use to regain her energy than good old oxygen?

Mara lay there for a while, slowly strengthening as she breathed the crisp, clean mountain air. Since her hideout was in a series of caverns, it was very nice to get out once in a while, if only for the fresh air – after all, the air in the caves was pretty stale. But she wouldn't have to worry about hiding much longer, not when all five Shards were in her grasp.

But those Shards were proving very hard to find. It would make the Darkfeathers look very bad indeed when they were the only group to show up without a Shard. The way things were going, the Abyssal Raiders and Life Stealers would have their Shards and the Darkfeathers would be out of favor. Mara gritted her beak and tried not to think about it.

Then, the sound of flapping wings caught her attention. A smile came to Mara's face as she saw her Murkrow mob coming toward her, black specks against a slightly less black sky. _At least my partners got out all right,_ she thought. Mara, for all her cruel ways, indeed cared at least a little about her ten Murkrow.

They all landed in front of her about a minute later, all clutching bits and pieces of gold and jewels in their talons and beaks. Mara's grin grew wider as she saw the sparkling trinkets.

"My lady," squawked the lead Murkrow, dropping a handsome-looking emerald bracelet from his beak. "We managed to salvage some of the treasure from the cave! We thought it would be better than coming back empty-clawed."

Mara smiled again and nodded. "Thank you," she said. "You always find a way to make me proud." The Murkrow all ducked their heads modestly and muttered that it was nothing.

"Now, at least, we don't need to keep looking for that Noctowl and Hoothoot," Mara mused further. "Pure luck that we found them going into the very same cave that Clawface wanted them to! Now we can trade him these trinkets for the Shard, when he finds it… _if_ he finds it." All the Murkrow loyally agreed, clacking their beaks and nodding their heads.

The black bird Pokemon piled all of their collected treasure into a little heap at Mara's talons. She nodded approvingly as she sifted through it with her claws – there was indeed a grand sum of P to be gained even from this little pile.

But just then, something caught her eye. She curiously brushed away the gold covering it, allowing the light of the moon to shine on that particular item. It was a metallic blue stone, rectangular in shame and the size of one of her talons.

However, that wasn't what intrigued Mara – it was the fact that she _recognized_ the stone. She recognized it from the carving that had been shown to her and the other gang leaders.

"Is this…?" she said aloud in pure awe. And then, joy welled up in her chest and forced itself out her beak. Mara laughed delightedly, long and loud, so great was her happiness. The Murkrow looked at each other quizzically until the gales died down.

"Do you… do you know what this is, little ones?" Mara wheezed, trying to catch her breath. She pointed down at the blue stone with a shaking primary feather – shaking with shocked exuberance.

Her talons clasped around the stone victoriously, but it protested, sensing the evil within the Honchkrow. The sentient stone sent out a cry for help to its Discoverer, telling them that someone other than its Discoverer had gotten a hold of it.

"And they call us Honchkrow and Murkrow unlucky!" Mara said proudly to her Murkrow gang. "This is… this is what we need! This is a Shard!"

-.-.-.-.-.

**Oh no, Mara has a Shard! Is this the same one that Clawface was after? And indeed, what happened to the fearsome Fearow? Is he still alive after Tesla's Electroweb hit the conductive seawater?**

**And what of Wyvern and the junior half of Team Biosphere? What are those oddly colored boulders that Terra noticed? Will they escape Deepdark Island safely?**

**Too many questions, and not enough answers. Not to worry, those will be answered in the next few chapters!**

**Last chance for OCs, people! Any last ideas? Heroes, villains, petty thieves, wannabe do-gooders, neutral parties? Bring 'em to me!**

**Clawface: "Ugghh… review, or I'll muster up the strength to kill you… somehow… ugghh…"**

**Chapter Question #6: If you could be turned into one Pokemon permanently for the rest of your life, what would it be? Would you immerse yourself into this story, or would you just not care about the events conspiring?**


	17. Worries Aboard the Windchaser

**Catchy title, no?**

**But too bad! OC submission is closed! So far, I've got the immediate storyline figured out, so I don't have any more room for new characters. However, somewhere down the line, I will be re-opening the OC submission.**

**Now, back to the story!**

**RoyalBlue120: Sorry, but I already got a Charizard request, and since those Pokemon are pretty rare I might have to change his species. Would you mind if I changed it to another Fire-type starter?**

-.-.-.-.-.

In the dead of night above the western ocean, there was no movement other than the gentle rolling of the waves. Below, there might have been the occasional Chinchou, Huntail, or even Jellicent roaming around in search of unfortunate prey to fill their bellies with. But above the surface – no, there was nothing to be seen for miles.

However, if one were scan the waters to the northeast of the Elemental Islets, one would see a lone ship bobbing up and down on the waves, a steady tailwind stretching the sails to their limits and pushing the boat far along. There was a single word engraved on the side of said ship – _Windchaser_.

The crew of the _Windchaser_ numbered only three, but tonight they had a wealth of extra hands to go around. Indeed, this was the same ship fleeing the Elemental Islets, the same ship that had narrowly escaped the Darkfeather gang. The _Windchaser_ was Team Bloodsucker's personal craft, built by their own… eh, "hands".

Burner the Moskeeteor and Drain the Pendrula were at the wheel. They were usually at that position on all their adventures – with his many legs, Drain was a very effective pilot, and Burner was usually the navigator.

Tonight, though, they were silent. Usually, they were talking and planning together when steering the _Windchaser_, but not tonight. The things that had gone on only a few hours ago were enough to keep them quiet. Both were busy with their own thoughts, trying to figure out what had happened, and how best to tell the Guardians.

"Mara's gone too far," Drain finally muttered, catching his boss's attention. He continued, "Attacking a populated island with almost no rescue teams to watch over it… it doesn't seem her style, but that only proves the gangs are getting more desperate. They want those Shards badly, and we can't let that happen. If they get their dirty claws on them…"

Burner nodded and finished, "…then they will be in full control of the continent's – no, the world's – fate." Then he paused and added lightly, "Don't worry, those Shards are demon hard to find. Team Knights, bless their noble souls, have already gone missing trying to find the Discoverer of the Earthen Shard."

The Pendrula turned away from the wheel and crossed ten pairs of legs. "And whose fault is that?" he demanded. "If we had laid siege to the Abyssal Raiders' trench like I had suggested to the King, then the Discoverer wouldn't have been captured!"

Sighing, Burner looked away and murmured, "Yes, I know I should have listened to you when you suggested that," he admitted. "But that doesn't explain what the Abyssal Raiders were doing in the Dunedust Desert, or how they even managed to survive." As Drain went back to the wheel, the Moskeeteor continued softly, "The Raiders are smart, and beyond that, they are powerful. I wouldn't deem it impossible for them to target the rest of the Shards and cross their allies to get them."

Drain shuddered, his long thin body rippling. "Not when they've got that General Fang working for them," he agreed. "Dang fish is a military genius. And speaking of geniuses – how the heck did Mara ever get the idea into her brittle skull to find and take a Shard in the _Elemental Islets_?"

Burner stopped to think – Mara wasn't exactly a brilliant mind, but how _did_ she get that idea? The Elemental Islets weren't even part of one of the five main Factions. Unless… someone from a separate Faction had been carrying one around and had happened to visit…

His antennae twitched as he suddenly thought of something. "But what if they had been following a Discoverer?" he asked Drain, who turned his head back to his friend. Burner continued excitedly, "It all makes sense now… the Darkfeathers must have been chasing after one of the Discoverers… and followed them to the Elemental Islets… and wasn't willing to let them get the chance to escape."

Now Drain whirled around, eyes bugging almost clear out of their sockets. "Are you saying that there's a Discoverer… _on this ship_?" he asked incredulously – but before Burner could answer, there was a sudden crashing noise as some of the stacked crates over by the side of the ship fell over.

The two Bloodsuckers were alert in an instant. "Pin Missile!" yelled Drain, firing several glowing needles that exploded as they hit the deck. A dark shape darted out from behind the crates, flushed out by the Pin Missiles. Burner leapt into the air and flawlessly caught the eavesdropper a second later.

The Purrloin grinned nervously at his stern glare. "Um… hey there," Shadepelt squeaked.

-.-.-.-.-.

On the opposite side of the boat, at the stern, Jowl and Sinestra were lying down comfortably, looking out at the water. The younger Eevee was feeling upset, and had been ever since their escape. When Jowl had asked why, she wouldn't say anything – which meant she was really upset.

The silence was broken by a quiet clicking sound. Both of them turned around to see the huge Conductula walking toward them. She sat down beside Sinestra and stared for a while at the water with them.

At last, Tesla said soothingly, "I know what it's like to lose someone you admire." Both Eevee looked up at her, startled in Sinestra's case and confused in Jowl's. "H-how did you know?" the little Eevee asked.

Tesla shrugged. "Like I said, I know what it's like to lose someone you look up to. And I've seen enough of you, Sinestra dear, to know that you really admired Celosia."

Jowl looked down at his sister in time to see her ears droop sadly and tears fill her eyes. "E-ever since Cell a-arrived on F-fire Isle…" she quavered, "I r-really liked her and w-wanted to be her f-friend. I e-even t-told her I wanted to b-be a w-wanderer like her. She was p-perfect in e-everything she d-did, and I c-couldn't help but look up t-to her." Then Sinestra sank her head into her paws and cried softly.

Placing a comforting claw on her shoulder, Tesla said quietly, "It's a shock, I know, to see someone as flawless and then suddenly come crashing down to reality. Celosia was a great Pokemon, especially because she was able to adjust to every new place she visited on her travels. But, Sinestra, no one is perfect. Any Pokemon can be killed. Even us in Team Bloodsucker could one day go off on a dangerous mission and never come back."

Sinestra stopped crying and looked expectantly up at Tesla. The Conductula continued, "It's never a good thing to witness someone's death, especially if that Pokemon was one close to you. Celosia died saving your life, and as cruel as it sounds, you have to be thankful that it wasn't you who were killed. If she hadn't sacrificed herself, then the Darkfeathers would have likely killed you and your brother as well."

Jowl snarled audibly and spat into the water below them. "Why?" he asked angrily. "Why did those feathered freaks decide to attack our island? We've done nothing wrong!"

Tesla looked uncomfortable as she patted Sinestra to comfort her further. "Not every Pokemon in this world is good like you most likely believe," she said grimly. "In fact, these days there might be more bad then good in the world. The Darkfeather gang is one such group who has been causing the Guardians and rescue teams no end of trouble. Stealing, kidnapping kids like yourselves… they're some of the worst." She sighed sadly and drew her multiple legs a little closer to her as a chilly breeze ruffled her fur.

"I'm going to fight them," Jowl said determinedly. "I'm going to join Team Eevui and take them down." There was a fire in his eyes now that Tesla observed with great interest. _Does this little one truly have the determination and courage to join a rescue team? _ she wondered curiously. It might be interesting to find out. Tesla decided that she would keep a close eye on these two for the time being.

The Eevee siblings would indeed need all the help they could get to succeed in this dangerous world.

-.-.-.-.-.

Okami sighed and went back below deck. Miranda and Amanita were waiting for her in the hall when she came down the stairs. "That was quick," Miranda said idly. The Sylveon responded, "Tesla's already talking to them. I didn't want to be a bother."

Amanita sighed wearily – even though her leader was several years older than her, sometimes she could be really childish. "You know you're never going to get over Cell's death if you bottle everything up," she told her. Miranda added, "And if you're hiding everything inside, it'll start festering in there until you're a complete wreck. Our rescue team needs to get better, and we can't get better if our leader doesn't have the spirit."

Okami sighed again and said nothing. She walked into her cabin, the other two following like Mareep. "What do you think the Guardians will say about all this?" she finally asked, willing to at least talk about that. "About all what?" Miranda asked, swishing her tail. She was still trying to get used to her new Vaporeon form.

"All this," Okami said again, as if that explained everything. "You know, the attack by those Flying-types… Diamond Island's apparent destruction, which we heard nothing about until now… the only reason I didn't believe that story was because the Guardians didn't know anything about it!" she added. "The world's in a huge mess, and everyone's expecting the Guardians and the rescue teams to fix it all!"

Miranda put a gentle paw on the Sylveon's shoulder. "Calm down," she said softly. "We're going to tell them what happened, and then they'll organize an investigation. They'll probably send out rescue teams to capture those Darkfeathers, too," she added as an afterthought.

"Yeah!" cheered Amanita. "Just you wait, those featherbrains will get justice served to them on a silver platter as soon as we tell the Guardians what's been going on!"

The Sylveon sighed and let a smile crease her face. The two of them were right – it didn't pay to dwell on the sadness that came with the death of someone she considered a friend. They had work to do as a rescue team, and they also had to get better at _being_ a rescue team. Miranda's evolution today was surely a sign – a sign that their future as Team Eevui was looking brighter.

"Alright," she finally said. "We'll tell the Guardians about everything that's happened – and then we'll help in any way possible!" At these words, Miranda and Amanita beamed at her. _This_ was their old, cheery, confident leader!

"Go Team Eevui!" they cheered, voices ringing strong and true in their cabin.

-.-.-.-.-.

Meanwhile, in another cabin, two Pokemon were feeling far less optimistic.

Tortuga had just finished telling Pteryx about everything that had conspired since he had fallen into his coma, way back at Seaside Village during their battle with Clawface and Rudy. The Archen had listened intently, but at the realization that his brother Wyvern was missing and that no one had any idea where he was, he seemed to droop with sadness.

Now, all he was doing was sitting on his bed and staring down at the floor. Tortuga was sitting beside him, wondering how best to take care of this situation. He himself didn't know much about worry – the Tirtouga was one of the most laid-back and carefree Pokemon he knew. However, the disappearance and possible death of their leader and, more importantly, good friend was something even he had to worry about. As Wyvern's brother, Pteryx was even more crushed than he was. And it was his job to bring Pteryx back to his old self.

"Look, Pteryx," Tortuga began awkwardly, after a while of staring at the floor with his friend. "We… we don't really know if Wyvern's dead or not, right? So… I guess there's no reason to worry about him."

The First Bird Pokemon didn't even look up as he replied, "I'm his little brother, ya twit. It's natural for me ta worry about him when he's not here with us. I just can't relax without him by me side. And right now, Wyvern could be in mighty big danger."

Tortuga winced. Shot down on his first attempt. He'd have to do better than this, he realized.

Taking a deep breath, he tried again. "We… we've come a long way since we first formed Team Fossil, remember?" he asked. "Now, we might not have the status of Team Bloodsucker, and we might not be legendary like some other teams, but we're still a respected rescue team."

Pteryx still didn't shift his gaze from the floor. "So?" he replied. "What's yer point?" He didn't sound any more convinced than last time.

"My point is," continued Tortuga, getting an idea and hoping it would guide him along, "that being on a rescue team is a dangerous job. Any member could get killed by the slightest thing. Finding treasures and bringing in villains are often only dreams. In real life, rescue teams face all kinds of hardships for things that might seem inconsequential. Being respected by our fellow rescuers means that us, Team Fossil, have faced many of these hardships and still brought back the gold."

The Archen lifted his head and stared at Tortuga. He couldn't read the look in Pteryx's beady eyes, but he could sense that he must have done something right. The Prototurtle pressed on.

"And what do these hardships teach us?" Tortuga continued, on a roll. "They teach us to have hope with us, always. You have to constantly hope for some salvation, for some good fortune, and for some little thing that could save your lives. You have to hope that you and your teammates will pull through and survive even if you fail. And right now, we have to hope once more. We have to hope that Wyvern is alive and well and on his way to find us."

Pteryx kept staring at him. The Water-and-Rock type blinked and lost a bit of his confidence. "Did I… did I do a good job…?" he asked tentatively.

A long moment of silence passed by before Pteryx opened his mouth. "Tortuga…" he said slowly, "…I think… that yer absolutely right." As Tortuga sighed with relief, Pteryx went on, "Yes, I think yer right! We're Team Fossil, fer Arceus' sake! Sure, we're no Team Bloodsucker or Team Knights… but that don't matter! We ain't gonna lose all the respect we gained from our peers by mopin' over a missin' – possibly dead – teammate, we're gonna use those hopes of ours and place our faith in ol' Wyvern! We're gonna trust that he's gonna make it home safely and in shipshape!"

Pteryx then jumped to his feet and stood there on the bed victoriously. The Tirtouga saw with tears in his eyes that his friend was truly back to his old self – jaunty, full-of-good-will voice and all.

The ship suddenly plunged over a steep wave, and the abrupt movement was enough to cause an ornament on a shelf to tumble down and smash down on Pteryx's head. Tortuga found himself grinning happily as the Archen squawked and belted out a fierce flurry of insults at the little ship-in-a-bottle.

Pteryx was back. No doubt about it.

-.-.-.-.-.

In yet another cabin – the last of the three – Gaby and Luke were huddled on the bed, too uncomfortable to speak. Luke was perched on the footboard, holding on with his hands and rocking back and forth. Gaby had her legs drawn up in front of her as she sat against the headboard. The window was open, allowing a beam of moonlight to illuminate the room.

The Kirlia suddenly muttered something under her breath, and Luke turned around to face her. Gaby was sitting just out of the moonlight, in the shadows. Her red eyes managed to shine just as brightly despite the shade.

"What was that you said?" Luke asked curiously. Gaby sighed and repeated loudly enough for him to hear, "How could things have gone so wrong?"

Luke didn't understand, but he wanted to. He lifted off of his perch and floated onto the mattress, into the light. He sat down and asked her, "What do you mean by that?"

Gaby sighed again and looked reluctant to speak. But just as Luke was about to encourage her to, she did so without his prompting. "I mean," she began to explain, "this was supposed to be a quick expedition to Diamond Island and back. We were supposed to take Pteryx to the doctor there, but then there was that storm, and we all got separated… and now we're running away from the Darkfeathers. How could this have gone wrong?"

The Victini frowned. Gaby initially seemed to be a quiet and reclusive Pokemon, but now she seemed more willing to speak her mind. Luke assumed that to be a good thing, but he didn't know for certain. But what he did know was that she was right – how could a simple trip to DiamondIsland have gone so badly indeed?

"Well," he said hesitantly, "this world… it's getting more and more chaotic, you know. So I guess… things are more likely to go wrong in such a world." It was hard for even the naïve Victini to stay optimistic. Such a fact was hard to avoid nowadays.

Gaby nodded, although it was hard to tell due to her position in the darkness. "And then there are all those bad Pokemon cropping up in greater numbers…" she piled on gloomily. "Pokemon seem to think that acting cruelly and selfishly is the only way to survive. In a way, it does make sense… but it only makes the world even harsher."

Luke tilted his head, remembering how Clawface and Rudy had been pushing Gaby around that day. "What did those two want with you anyway?" he asked suddenly, knowing that the Kirlia would know what he meant.

Her eyes stared at him from the shadows for the longest time, then she silently shuffled out into the light to sit beside him. "Can you keep a secret, Luke?" she asked, and the Victini was struck by the sheer… un-Gaby-ness of her voice. She sounded cautious, vulnerable, and insecure, nothing at all like her usual strength and self-reliance.

"Of course I can," he said loyally, making a little 'X' over his heart. "Cross my heart and hope for pie." Gaby gave him a strange look, and he blushed with embarrassment. "That's how I always say it…" he muttered sheepishly.

Gaby took a deep breath and spoke once more. "You ever heard of a Shard?" she asked, and Luke shook his head. She explained, "Shards are legendary items that are supposed to be linked to the world and its fate. If one had all five, one would be able to either save the world, or destroy it, depending on what struck your fancy."

The Victini's eyes were wide as she said this. Gaby didn't say anything else for a few seconds, before she said, "I found a Shard."

Now Luke's eyes grew even wider. "You did?" he asked, voice tinged with awe. Gaby nodded. "Yes, I did," she confirmed. "I found the Aqua Shard, the one that is supposed to be linked to the Water element. I'm its Discoverer, or that's what the Shard told me."

At this point, Luke's eyes were practically popping out of his skull. Gaby smiled at his astonishment. "The Guardians have the entire legend of the Shards, and they know what to do with them once found," she said. "That's why I wanted to take mine to the Guardians. But I couldn't, because Clawface and Rudy found me, and… you know the rest."

This news was overwhelming to Luke. His friend found a legendary item, one so powerful it could decide the fate of the world? It was unbelievable to him.

"I'll help you in any way you can," he found himself saying. "You're my friend, after all, so you can count on me completely. I want to help you with whatever you're supposed to do with that Shard."

Gaby smiled – not just one of her usual small, barely noticeable ones, but a _real_ smile. "Thanks, Luke," she said gratefully. "I'm glad you want to help me. Truly."

Luke blushed ferociously and looked away. "Th-that's what friends do," he stammered quietly.

And although she knew he couldn't see, Gaby looked away as well as a faint warmth blossomed in her cheeks.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Ooh, things are heating up! XD**

**I am slightly ashamed to say that my little sister has become obsessed with watching MLP: Friendship is Magic, and I'm getting sucked into the show as well. It's not actually that bad – it's even funny at times.**

**… … … Don't judge me.**

**_Anyway_****, the fate of the ****_Windchaser_****'s crew remains uncertain (even to me)! How long will it be until the Shard's cry for help reaches its Discoverer? Find out what happens next in the upcoming episode of… "Destined Explorers of Legend"!**

**Tortuga: "Um… we rescue teams would appreciate it if you gave us a review! Oh, and tell me how I did with my speech please! Was it good?"**

**Chapter Question #7: My personal favorite Pokemon couples are Jirachi and Meloetta, and blue and pink Frillish! What two Pokemon do you think would make the cutest couple, readers?**


	18. Of Epiphanies and Captures!

**I'm going to leave the ****_Windchaser_**** and its crew to float in the ocean a while longer – we have other characters to focus on for the time being! We're going back to Deepdark Island to check on… hey, why am I spoiling this ****_now_****?**

-.-.-.-.-.

The sun came up over the rocky, barren landscape of Deepdark Island, allowing its warm rays to play over the grove of trees in which Wyvern, Cenric, and Terra rested. The change in light caused the trio to instinctively wake up. They stretched and rubbed their eyes as they shook off their heavy sleep and slowly became more alert.

"Well, should we get to work on hauling these trees down to the beach?" Cenric yawned, contorting his body as he stretched out his spine. Still perched on his limb, Wyvern yawned as well and replied, "We have to take the trees down as well, you know." Terra looked up at the tree, several times taller than her, and groaned aloud.

"Not to worry," Cenric smugly reassured her. "All it takes is a simple… Razor Wind!" he cried suddenly, lashing his tail and sending a blade of energy out at the tree. It sliced clean through the trunk, bringing it down in an instant. Wyvern squawked and hung on for dear life as he went down with it.

There was an immense crash as the tree hit the ground, followed by a great cloud of dust that was swept up into the air. Coughing, Cenric and Terra squinted through the already-fading curtain and saw with relief that the tree hadn't fallen on top of Wyvern.

"Sorry about that," the Buizel smirked at the Archeops. "I just went out on a limb and figured that would work." He snickered good-naturedly as Wyvern let go of his branch and stalked over to another tree.

Wyvern had a similar look on his face to Cenric's as he raised his tail. "Dragon Tail!" he yelled, swatting the tree down. The trunk snapped where Wyvern had hit it, and toppled almost immediately. The tree landed right next to Cenric, who squeaked and jumped inside one of the scraggy shrubs dotting the quarry.

The Archeops brushed his hands together, looking satisfied with his work. "Let's go, buddy," he grinned to the cowering Buizel. "Or are ya feeling _bushed_?"

Cenric blushed in humiliation as Wyvern and Terra both burst out laughing. "Ha ha," he said sourly, circling his arms around the tree's trunk. "Now are we laughing, or are we lugging?" He then began to pull as hard as he could on the tree, moving it ever so slightly.

The trio thus started the hard laborious process of dragging the two trees all the way back down to the wreck of the _Tranquility_. The huge logs were each about ten feet long and one foot wide, so at least they weren't attempting to move the largest of trees. However, it was still hard work, especially for the two smaller Pokemon. Terra and Cenric were each tugging on their log's bigger branches, while Wyvern went to the end of his tree and pushed with all his might.

It took them about half an hour to make it out of the boulder quarry in which they had found the trees. During that period, Terra continually looked back at the pale cream-colored rocks, convinced that something was watching them work. However, they made it out of the quarry and down into a lengthy canyon without any incidents. It was through that long gorge that they would travel all the way down to the coast.

The second they were gone, though, the largest of the boulders suddenly opened its eyes. Four legs quickly moved out from under it, allowing it to move freely. It lifted its pincers and held them easily aloft.

The "boulder" clicked its claws as it communicated with its companions, and all ten of them rose onto their own feet. With all present and accounted for, the Kingler squad scuttled after the hardworking trio.

-.-.-.-.-.

Slowly, painfully, the Pokemon began to feel things from the world around it. The cold, hard stone underneath it, the aching pain all over its body, and the sounds of other Pokemon that were apparently surrounding it – those were the things the Noivern detected upon waking up from his incapacitation.

Vladimir's eyelids fluttered up, allowing him to see. The first thing he saw was a group of Zubat right in front of him, all clicking and squeaking as they tried to figure out if he was as helpless as he seemed. Now Vladimir could feel the hundreds of little feet on his back as more of the Bat Pokemon flew down to investigate, and his skin began to crawl.

With a mighty roar, the Noivern stood up on his shaky legs and flared his wings. All of the Zubat shrieked and flew up in a cloud of leathery wings. He fired off a Screech attack that wreaked havoc on the Zubats' senses, sending them scurrying for cover. When the last were gone, he sighed and stretched his aching limbs.

Wings, tail, head, back – pretty much everything hurt. The last thing Vladimir could remember before fainting was that huge beam that had plowed into him painfully, and then everything had gone dark.

But the thing that intrigued him was that the massive – the _impressive_ – energy beam wasn't just one attack. It was the attacks of four Pokemon combined. Those four Pokemon had worked as a team to defeat him, and what was more, they had been successful.

Vladimir was a wild Noivern. He was naturally solitary, and that was because he was powerful enough to deal with most threats on his own. He had already claimed these tunnels for himself, chasing off the Zubat and Golbat whenever they appeared. The only Pokemon he knew that naturally worked together were the small, weak ones that weren't strong enough to live their lives alone.

However, these four had all been powerful Pokemon, ones that were, on their own, strong enough to fend for themselves. But as a team, they were even stronger! Why, the only powerful Pokemon that Vladimir had heard of that worked in groups were –

_The Guardians_.

Vladimir had heard stories of those legendary warriors from his parents. Every wild Pokemon had stories about the Guardians, and how they flawlessly defeated everything that stood in their way. At first, Vladimir had wondered why they didn't just take over the entire continent for themselves – as that was what wild Pokemon did with their territories. But his parents had said to him that they were kind and humble, and used their incredible power to help others.

Such selflessness was alien and a little bit frightening for a Pokemon born to fight tooth and claw to survive. But that was what those four had to have been – a rescue team! Even now, those legends held Vladimir in awe. _And how much stronger would I be if I, myself, had a team to back me up?_ he couldn't help wondering. _What could I accomplish if I had teammates to combine my attacks with?_

The Noivern would be unstoppable. And just like the Guardians, he wouldn't use his newfound potential to conquer – he'd use it for good, to protect the helpless.

_To make strong the weak, mend the broken, and vanquish those who abuse the frail,_ Vladimir remembered. _Isn't that how the legends went? Now, I will be a part of these legends too. Wild Pokemon will one day tell stories about me and my team. I will be remembered as a hero and a warrior._

Vladimir grinned, and immediately knew where he must go to fulfill his dream. He was going to Vulcana City.

-.-.-.-.-.

Iron Talon hadn't budged an inch since the _Windchaser_ had vanished on the horizon. All night, he had stood there glaring at the water, silently cursing Team Bloodsucker and how he had managed to let them get away. He had failed not only the Darkfeathers, but himself as well. The Pidgeot stamped a metallic talon and wondered if Mara would give him a demerit.

Every victim of the Conductula's Electroweb had had their feathers sodden so much that they sunk into the briny deep, but one had managed to make it back to shore. At last, Iron Talon averted his eyes to stare at the wet heap of brown-and-black feathers that had just rode in on the last wave.

Clawface looked horrible. His feathers were badly charred, and the char marks themselves took the shape of the web he had been snagged in. In some cases, the electrical threads had burnt the feathers right off, leaving stringy bare patches all over the place. The bright red of the scar tissue would ensure that they would never grow back. He didn't seem to be breathing.

Out of all the Darkfeathers on the beach, only Herra looked upset over his demise. She could hardly eat a morsel of the dead Eeveelution in her claws. Everyone else just didn't care.

Suddenly, the sound of flapping wings caught everyone's attention. Iron Talon allowed a rare smile cross his beak as he saw Mara, flanked by her Murkrow, soaring over the ocean to meet them. Then he remembered that they hadn't found the Shard or the Discoverer, and the smile faded.

The Honchkrow landed and immediately took note of Clawface's limp form. "What's this?" she asked snappishly. Iron Talon bowed and said, "The murderer Fearow, madam. Team Bloodsucker shot him down and into the water."

After a moment, Mara cackled loudly. "Good riddance," she laughed, wiping a tear away from her eye. "We didn't need him anymore anyway! Look what my Murkrow found us!" She held up a piece of something in her wing, and all the assembled Darkfeathers gasped.

"A Shard," murmured Iron Talon. Mara cackled again and said, "You're right! We found what we've been looking for all along!"

Now the Darkfeathers all clacked their beaks and murmured to each other. "Come on, gang!" their leader instructed. "Let us fly back to our hideout, where we can plan our next steps!"

Within seconds, the air was filled with flapping, cawing, and shrieking bird Pokemon. More seconds passed, and the air over Fire Isle was completely devoid of them as they made their way into the distance, heading back to the mainland.

Herra the Skarmory stayed behind. She had been Clawface's partner, and thus, never a Darkfeather. She stepped over the Glaceon's body she still held on to and stopped when she reached the Fearow. A pang of sadness caused her to quiver and _almost_ tear up.

But just then, another pang shot through her, this time of excitement. Herra dared to let hope return to her as she peered closer at Clawface's body, trying to confirm what she had just fleetingly saw.

Then it happened again – Clawface's talons twitched.

-.-.-.-.-.

Fixing the _Tranquility_ turned out to be harder than Terra, Cenric, and Wyvern had thought.

It was late morning by the time they had finished hauling the two heavy logs down to the shipwreck, and the sun was high in the sky. One would think that their troubles were over once they had brought the logs to rest beside the ship and they had finished panting. But no, they quickly found another challenge – they didn't have the proper tools with them.

Wyvern and his brother had lived in Seaside Village for a while, and they knew a thing or two about shipbuilding. However, in order to chop the logs to the right sized planks, they needed a saw, a hammer, nails, and quite a few other tools with them as well. Now, the Archeops was busy puzzling over whether or not he could chop the logs without those tools, and, if he could, how he would do it.

"Alright, Cenric," Wyvern finally piped up, directing the Buizel over to the log he was scrutinizing. "Use your Razor Wind here, and here," he instructed, gashing two vertical lines in the bark with his claws and then stepping back a safe distance.

Cenric walked closer to the log and eyed the fresh gashes. He then shrugged and swung his tail twice, flinging two blades of wind at the tree. The Razor Winds sliced clean through the log, exactly where Wyvern had indicated.

"Excellent, lad!" the Archeops congratulated. "You've really got an eye for accuracy, I'll give you that." The Buizel just ducked his head modestly.

Before they could continue with their work, though, they heard Terra calling them over from farther up the beach. "Um, were these rocks always here?" she asked nervously, pointing at the rocks in question. Wyvern and Cenric looked up and blinked in astonishment.

There, sitting on the beach where nothing but pebbles had once sat, were eleven cream-colored boulders. They looked just like the ones that had occupied the quarry where they had found the trees, although no one had actually consciously noticed them. But their sudden presence here, whether anyone recognized them or not, was certainly suspicious.

"How did those big rocks get here?" Cenric asked, squinting at them. "Beats me," Terra said, still sounding a little on edge. "They were there at the quarry where we found those logs." The Charmander walked up to one and poked it, but got no reaction, obviously.

"Well, they didn't just get up and follow us," said Cenric, then thought about it and added, "I hope." Terra shivered and whispered, "Maybe they're spying on us."

Wyvern chuckled and waved a wing dismissively. "Come on, seriously," he said amusedly. "These monoliths aren't _lith_ening to our conversations. And they're certainly not any _boulder_ than the other rocks on this island. You guys are just being paranoid." He chuckled again, this time at his witty rock-related puns.

"All these rock jokes coming from the fossil," Cenric muttered exasperatedly. "I have a sense of humor, but honestly? Let's just ignore the mysterious boulders and fix this boat so we don't have to worry about them again."

But before the group could take three steps toward the ship, the water lapping at the edge of the beach suddenly began to boil. The trio froze and stared with surprised looks on their faces as a small army of red-and-blue fish-like Pokemon rose up out of the water menacingly, displaying their razor-sharp teeth.

"Carvanha," Wyvern growled, as Terra instinctively hid behind him. "Now we can't get the boat into the water even when its fixed – they'll rip it to shreds!" He heard a squeak from behind him as Terra tried to hide herself even more.

"No biggie," Cenric said nonchalantly. "We just won't go into the water until they leave." He folded his arms and sat on his tail, giving the Carvanha a bored look.

That was when the suspicious boulders sprang to life, revealing their beady eyes and enormous claws. They were Kingler! They clicked harshly to one another as they advanced and surrounded the completely shocked Pokemon. Now they were trapped between bloodthirsty fish and savage crabs. _What a choice,_ Wyvern thought bitterly.

The Kingler herded them toward the water. The group tried to resist, but were beaten down with Crabhammer attacks. Wyvern tried to fly away with Terra and Cenric in his talons, but he was again beaten with a well-placed Bubblebeam.

Now they had nowhere to run as the Kingler shoved them into the shallows. The Carvanha swarmed closer, savagely snapping their jaws like little Ursaring traps. Wyvern spread his wings and snarled, prepared to fight to the death and take as many fish as he could down with him.

But the Carvanha didn't attack. Instead, little red heads appeared in the water and swam between the fish Pokemon to reach the group. The Krabby swam forward and attached themselves to each of their bodies with the claws on their legs. The three of them squirmed as the Krabby scuttled up to their heads and used Bubble.

The huge Bubbles were filled with air, as the three friends realized when their heads were fully encased. Only when the Bubbles were in place did the Carvanha advance once more, grabbing them with their jaws surprisingly gently and tugging them under the water.

Wyvern, Cenric, and Terra had no choice but to follow. The Charmander's Krabby used Bubble on her tail to keep it burning underwater as they dove. The Carvanha fanned out and surrounded them, moving in perfect formation. Wyvern was intrigued – he had never seen packs of Carvanha move in unison like this before.

_And they don't seem interested in eating us,_ he mused further as the school led them down into the ever-darkening depths of the ocean. _They seem to be leading us somewhere. But where?_

_And… why?_

-.-.-.-.-.

**Introducing Vladimir the Noivern! He, too, holds the Guardians in high esteem and dreams of being one of them. But will he ever find teammates to call his own? Will he find the Guardians and form a rescue team?**

**What about the Darkfeathers? What will they do now that they have what they want? And is Clawface still truly alive?**

**And who were those aquatic ruffians who captured Wyvern, Cenric, and Terra? Could they have some connection to a certain gang of ****_criminales_**** we encountered way, way back?**

**Mysteries, mysteries everywhere! But all will be revealed in due time…**

**Vladimir: "Review, or I'll smash your skull in! Wait… that's not what the Guardians do… Um… do the right thing and review please!"**

**Chapter Question #8: What are your three all-time favorite Pokemon, readers?**


	19. The Abyssal Raiders

**It's been a while since we saw our favorite aquatic villains – the Spanish Gyarados, the stoic Sharpedo, and that just-plain-awesome Frillish. So, I'm dedicating an entire chapter to them and their evil plans.**

**Hold your breaths, readers, and take a plunge into the wide and watery world of the Abyssal Raiders gang!**

-.-.-.-.-.

Lady Sapphire sang quietly to herself as she floated down one of the many halls of El Nino's fortress. The fortress took the form of a vast network of tunnels built into the side of an intimidating underwater trench. Packs of Carvanha, Basculin, Tentacool, and Eelektrik roamed the area, preventing any foreign Pokemon from getting near – unless that Pokemon was a captured prisoner.

The Frillish herself was returning from one of her many duties around the fort. Chiefly, she served as El Nino's executioner, and how she _loved_ her job. Her eyes glinted with insanity as she recalled the terror in the poor Nincada's eyes, his shrill scream as she brought her scythe down, the sight of the blood pouring onto the cold rock as his head rolled off the platform… Sapphire remembered it all wistfully as she turned a corner, holding her still-bloody scythe over her shoulder.

The dungeons, execution room, and every other area where non-water-breathers were permitted were located in a series of underground caves with air pockets. That was fine with Sapphire, as she could breathe air as well as any land Pokemon. But right now, she was blissfully swimming through one of the expansive underwater tunnels, a faint trail of blood drifting off of her scythe and into the water behind her.

At last, she arrived at her rather large cave. It was partially in and partially out of the water, thanks to an air pocket, allowing her the luxury of switching between stale air and salty seawater. Sapphire drifted up out of the water and hung her weapon on the cave wall – there would be plenty of time to clean it later. Now, though, she floated away from the surface and over the cavern floor, coming to rest in her favorite armchair and plucking a book from her bookshelf.

Despite her love of death, blood, and murder in general, the demented Frillish's real passion (no pun intended) was in romance. She loved the concept, and often dreamed of her and her husband together, alone on some moonlit beach or coral reef. Sapphire was strange that way, and other Pokemon were put off between the stark contrast between her hobby – killing – and her affinity for romance.

The only one that wasn't was her husband, Neptune, and that was one of the many things that Sapphire loved about him. No one could deny that the two Frillish were deeply devoted to each other, and El Nino was even generous enough to let the two spend a lot of time together. Sapphire was very grateful to the Gyarados for that – and, of course, for giving her the opportunity to stain her scythe with the blood of countless innocents.

Sapphire looked up in response to a quiet splash. She put her book down in time to see Neptune himself gliding gently toward her, a smile on his face and his tentacles outstretched. She instantly leapt out of her chair and into the other Frillish's arms, embracing him tightly as he smoothly wrapped them around her waist.

"My lady," Neptune whispered in her ear. "My lord," Sapphire responded, eyes shining not with madness, but with pure love as she leaned forward and kissed him. They remained in their passionate embrace for a few seconds more before they broke apart, still holding onto each other lovingly.

"Anything particularly eventful happen today?" Neptune inquired, sliding a tentacle away from his wife's waist and brushing it against her cheek. Sapphire giggled and blushed as she responded, "Nothing much. Only a few pathetic Bug-types from the Insect Faction to slaughter. I wish things would change once in a while, I've been getting nothing but insects to squash these past few weeks."

She sighed dramatically and hung her head in disappointment, only to have Neptune tilt her head back up. "Not to worry, my love," he said quietly, taking a few seconds to kiss her again. "There were those new prisoners you were telling me about, right? The rescue team, and the one with the Shard?"

Sapphire brightened again. "That's right, I completely forgot!" she said joyfully. "They _will_ be fun. Maybe they'll even go to their deaths bravely. That would be nice for a change… but I _so_ enjoy watching Pokemon die with fear." She frowned, indecisive for the moment.

Neptune chuckled and squeezed her gently. "Whatever strikes your fancy, but you don't have to decide now. I just came back from bringing the prisoners' meals, and I think they'll be there for a while longer." He laughed again and at last let go of Sapphire, floating over to where she had hung her scythe.

Sighing, the blue Frillish took the edge of his cloak and began to wipe the drying blood on the blade off. "Honestly, don't you ever clean up after yourself?" he asked with mock exasperation, hiding a grin. Sapphire hugged him from behind and said mischievously, "You know you love me for it."

He reached back and brushed her cheek again with a tentacle. "We _both_ know it," he responded quietly, tilting his head back towards hers and kissing her again.

There was a sudden splash, and the couple broke apart and turned toward the water's surface, startled. A nervous-looking Carvanha was floating there awkwardly.

Sapphire narrowed her eyes. How she _hated_ being interrupted when she was with Neptune. "Yes?" she hissed, with a small Shadow Ball forming at the end of her tentacle.

The Carvanha gulped and took a deep breath in order to calm himself. "M-Master Nino and the G-General want you in the Master's q-quarters immediately, L-Lady Sapphire." Closing his jaws with a *snap*, he nervously awaited the pink Frillish's response.

But knowing Lady Sapphire, that response could be a fatal injury on his part.

Several, long, tense seconds passed. After the fifth second crawled by, Sapphire lowered her tentacle and dispelled the Shadow Ball. "Go," she told him, without losing the fearsome expression. "Tell them that I'm coming."

A sigh of utter relief escaped from the Carvanha's jaws too early. Sapphire lashed out with her tentacle and pulled him out of the water by his tail. "But if you ever interrupt my husband and me a second time, you won't be telling anyone anything, ever again." Her voice dropped to a barely audible whisper, one that would send shudders of fear down even a Spiritomb's nonexistent spine.

The Carvanha nodded frantically, and Sapphire threw him back into the water. With a very unprofessional squeak of fear – made even more amusing due to the fact this Carvanha was a soldier – the fish dove underneath the surface as fast as his tail would propel him.

Back to her old self in an instant, Sapphire sighed and turned back to Neptune. "I guess I have to go," she said grudgingly, and kissed him farewell. "I'll be back for dinner."

Neptune nodded and smiled. "I'll see you soon, my lady." Giggling, Lady Sapphire dove into the water with barely a ripple, and floated out of her cavern, singing to herself once more.

-.-.-.-.-.

The sound of Sapphire's giggles faded away, and Neptune sighed wistfully to himself, an endearing look in his eyes. _Oh, she's such a gem,_ he thought, then chuckled. _No pun intended._

The male Frillish turned away from the water and frowned. Now what needed to be done? Their cavern was a spacious one, with room for plenty of furniture. But as he looked around, Neptune couldn't for the life of him find anything that needed to be taken care of.

Shrugging, Neptune floated over to his wife's armchair and put away the book that she had dropped. As he did so, a portrait hanging on the cave wall caught his eye. It was his favorite – a painting of his and Sapphire's wedding day. He sighed again as he reached out and straightened the framed piece of art.

In his eyes, Sapphire could do no wrong. Where others saw cruelty, he saw kindness. Where some would find her sadistic, Neptune found her "uniquely charming". Was that insanity twinkling in those gorgeous eyes of hers? No, not at all, it was spirit. Once again, he sighed wistfully and shivered at the intense fluttering sensation in his chest.

Neptune glanced once more at the painting. He and Sapphire were at the front, holding each others' tentacles and looking as happy as can be. The priest was there in the background, an old Relicanth. Then there were Sapphire's parents – the two magnificent Jellicent, Khan and Pearl, monarchs of the Jellicent Kingdom far beneath the eastern ocean.

The day he and Sapphire had met was still a dream to him. He had been a simple citizen in the Kingdom, and she had been the heir to it. Imagine how shocked he had been when the two of them had bumped into each other as he had been tending the coral reef that made up the castle gardens. It had been love at first sight for both of them – so much so, in fact, that their first kiss had preceded their first conversation.

The young princess had rapidly introduced him to her parents, and Neptune could still remember the extreme nervousness he had been feeling when the king and queen had first smiled and greeted him. The two Jellicent had been immensely kind to him, even telling him that he didn't have to bow when addressing them. The entire ordeal had been mind-blowing.

But now, here he was – happy and married to the loveliest princess ever to grace the four oceans. Neptune stared fondly at the painting, remembering every moment they had spent together. His life, he felt, was perfect.

Just then, another memory snapped him out of his love-struck stupor. He and Sapphire would have to meet the king and queen again in just a few days. Neptune gulped nervously, and he hoped that the information they had gathered at the Abyssal Raiders' lair would be satisfactory.

Neptune took a deep breath. They would be fine. …As long as El Nino or General Fang didn't catch them.

-.-.-.-.-.

El Nino sighed heavily for the third time in a row. As leader of the Abyssal Raiders, whose territory was steadily growing every day, it was important for him to receive potentially useful information regarding the expansion of his realm. With the Guardians on the loose and natural disasters ravaging the oceans, any bit of information was valuable, no matter how small.

However, it was _very_ frustrating when one wouldn't divulge said information.

The Lucario that General Fang's Carvanha Squad had captured was a well known explorer named Ruby. Apparently, the Guardians had stationed her permanently as a guard for supply carriages travelling between the Dunedust Desert and the Bughaven Forest.

The Gyarados had figured that knowing the trade routes between the two Factions would help them in their eventual conquest of the two regions. If they could disrupt the trade routes, then they could weaken the Factions. Then again, first they had to actually _get_ the information…

"My dear Ruby…" El Nino began again, but was rapidly cut off. "I told you no!" the Lucario yelled defiantly. "I will not give you any of the Factions' secrets! You will only use them for evil!"

General Fang growled audibly from his position next to El Nino's chair – although it looked more like a throne. The huge seat was seated, so to speak, at the top of a small staircase, allowing the Gyarados to glare down at the stubborn Fighting-and-Steel-type.

"Evil is all of _relativo_, O Famous Explorer Ruby," he said with a grin, but General Fang knew that inwardly he was seething. _No one_ defied the leader of the Abyssal Raiders, especially over and over again. It was insulting.

El Nino gestured with his tail to two Tentacool. They wrapped their tentacles around Ruby's arms and legs and dragged her over to the far wall, where they stuck her by using their sticky poisons. The Lucario winced as the poison burned her limbs, but didn't say a word.

"I almost hate having to call Lady Sapphire here," General Fang growled – his usual voice. "She'll only leave a mess behind, and we'll be no farther from getting that information."

Smiling, El Nino gave him a dismissive wave of his tail. "Do not worry, General," he replied. "I trust Sapphire knows when she's gone too far. We'll get the _informacion_ we need about those supply carriages, and then we can begin our eventual _toma de posesion _of the Desert and Insect Factions. Slow and steady is the way to go, you know."

The Sharpedo silently rolled his eyes. As much as he liked the Gyarados' tactics, he moved a little too slowly for the General's tastes. Still, he had no choice but to suck it up and let El Nino do what he pleased.

Soon, the faint sound of singing could be heard coming from down the hall. El Nino grinned even wider than before and looked down smugly at the bound Ruby. "You've had your chance," he warned. "Now my _ejecutor_ is going to make chum out of you."

Ruby snarled in response and said courageously, "Bring it on." At this, El Nino's grin only grew wider.

Only seconds went by before Lady Sapphire floated into the chamber. "Hello again, Master Nino~!" she sang, curtsying. "Whatever can I help you with?"

El Nino chuckled, a low rumbling sound. "I admire your _cortesia_ as always, my lady," he replied. "As for what I called you here for… Well, we have a prisoner that is a tougher nut to crack than normal." He waved his tail at the trapped Lucario, who glared daggers at the Frillish.

But even the fearless explorer's courage wavered at the look Sapphire gave her – the same look that stole into a Persian's eyes as it noticed a fat Rattata.

_Fresh prey._

"Oh, really?" Sapphire said innocently, gliding slowly closer. She sighed and continued, "What a shame. A brave Guardian, who has stood up to countless foes… a good, kind Pokemon with many friends, and family to look after back home…"

In seconds, the Frillish had floated right up to Ruby and gave her a predatory, sharp-toothed smile. "Who knows… maybe if I'm feeling eager, I'll go after _them_ when I'm finished with you."

To her credit, Ruby was not about to back down from this girly, ditzy nutcase. "Do your worst," she spat contemptuously, giving the Frillish a murderous look.

Sapphire replied with an even more murderous one, accompanied by the most terrifying grin the Lucario had ever seen in her life. "You said it… not me," she hissed, and her eyes began to glow a sickly purple. "Night Shade."

Waves of power shot forth from Sapphire's forehead, washing over Ruby's helpless form. With each wave came intense pain – not physical pain, but a sharp jab to the mind, like a splitting headache. The pain faded as quickly as it struck, only to come again and again in a constant rhythm. But Ruby bit her lip and endured it.

"Oh, she's a tough one!" the Frillish giggled, seeing that her Night Shade wasn't having an effect. "But lucky you, I can still do worse!" With that, she increased the power and speed of her Night Shade. Now, the next wave struck before the previous could fade, adding up to an almost constant migraine that seemed to get worse with each energy wave. The Lucario squeezed her eyes shut and gritted her teeth, so hard that she swore that she felt one break.

Sapphire was enjoying herself. "It's been a while since I've had to use my full power," she said. "I love challenges, you know~!" Her eyes began to glow more intensely as she upped the power one more time.

Ruby let a gasp escape her clenched teeth as the Night Shade struck with even more strength than before. It felt as if her head was about to split open, and it was as if her mind was being ripped to pieces and then put back together again. She growled audibly as she tried to fight the pain. Sapphire, however, knew from experience that she was finally starting to do damage.

As the Lucario began to physically struggle while Lady Sapphire looked on with amusement, El Nino turned to General Fang and ordered, "General, go fetch Rosaline, Vizeli, and Madeleine. When this is over, I want to speak with them." The Sharpedo nodded and hopped out of the chamber. A distant splash indicated that he had entered the water and was on his way.

Finally, Ruby broke. Sapphire whistled an idle tune as her incessant Night Shade grew painful enough to provoke a scream from her victim. Sensing weakness, she pushed her power to its limit, making Ruby scream again, longer and louder.

"_Suficiente_," El Nino told her, slithering down the steps to her side. The Frillish pouted, but did as he said, shutting down the Night Shade. Ruby gasped and hung her head limply as the pain mercifully stopped.

"Now," the Gyarados said casually, "will you be willing to give us the _informacion_ we need now? Or will Lady Sapphire have another name to add to the _lista_ of dead fools?" The Frillish shot her an evil grin, eyes flickering with madness.

Reluctantly, Ruby conceded. "Fine," she spat. "The Desert Faction and Insect Faction share a trade route that goes directly north between their Kingdoms. It passes through the Life Stealers' territory, so is heavily guarded in case of a raid. The supplies go through twice a week."

El Nino beamed at her. "See, was that so _dificil_?" he asked. He turned to one of the Tentacool floating off to the side and asked, "Did you get all that?" The Tentacool held up a notepad which had been scribbled on and saluted.

The Gyarados nodded at the Water-and-Poison-type, the rings adorning his whiskers jingling. Then suddenly, a splash and then footsteps could be heard. "Ah, right on schedule," he said with satisfaction. General Fang entered first with his usual look of stoic indifference, but he wasn't alone. Three Pokemon entered – a Masquerain, Floatzel, and Absol.

The three of them were… honorary members of the Abyssal Raiders, to put it bluntly. Rosaline, the Masquerain, was a double agent for the Raiders who was stationed in the Bughaven Forest. Leading a small contingent of Surskit, she had assimilated herself into the Kingdom and was waiting for the right moment to strike.

Vizeli, the Floatzel, had only joined the Abyssal Raiders for the opportunity to increase her own wealth. She was arrogant and smug, but also quite powerful when it came to combat. However, she didn't usually fight, claiming that she didn't like to "get her paws dirty". She was a bit of an annoyance, as she usually turned her nose up at whatever job was given to her around the fortress.

Madeleine the Absol was originally a Life Stealer, having joined after running away from the Yin-Yang Islands. However, she defected to the Abyssal Raiders after they had kidnapped her parents, hoping to work to free them one day. So far she hadn't, and the Raiders usually kept close tabs on her in case she betrayed them.

"Master Nino, I brought the three you requested," rasped General Fang, hopping over to stand beside the Gyarados. "_Excellente_!" he replied, giving his aide a nod before turning to the three before him.

"How are ya, Nino darlin'?" Vizeli drawled. "Whatcha need m – us – for? I ain't cleanin' nothin' this time, darlin'. I'm putting my foot down on this one."

Sapphire floated out from behind El Nino and scowled at the Floatzel. They didn't get along very well, partially because of Vizeli's jealousy towards the Frillish's high birth, position under El Nino, and of course, beauty. Sapphire herself returned her hatred for reasons unknown.

"Please be restraining yourself, Madame Sapphire," Rosaline said with a heavy accent, fluttering forward. "Zis is not ze time for fighting." El Nino nodded at the Masquerain and quickly gave Madeleine a precautionary glance. The Absol stayed silent and didn't move.

"Now then," El Nino began, "thanks to the information Lady Sapphire… extracted… from our latest prisoner, I now have the _necesario_ instructions for you if our plan is to succeed.

"Rosaline, I am sending you back to the Bughaven Forest. Rally your Surskit and infiltrate the Kingdom – when the time comes, destroy the _familia real_, every possible heir. With the royals gone, you can take the throne and thus assimilate the _Faccion de los Insectos_ with the Abyssal Raiders' growing empire." The Masquerain gave a flowery nod.

"Madeleine," the Gyarados continued, "you must return to _los Ladrones de Vida_, the Life Stealers, and give them the information I shall be giving you shortly. Twice a week, you will raid and destroy the supply carriages that come through, which will weaken the Desert and Insect Factions." Still without speaking, the Absol nodded twice in acknowledgement.

Before El Nino opened his mouth again, General Fang's cutting voice broke in. "Permission to speak, Master Nino," he rasped, and the Gyarados gestured for him to go on. The Sharpedo continued, "The raids you are planning would be an excellent opportunity to weaken the Life Stealers as well."

El Nino grinned and gave a short, booming laugh. "Indeed, General!" he exclaimed. "I was in fact planning to give that _asignacion_ to Vizeli!" General Fang looked surprised at this, and Vizeli looked suspicious.

"What assignment, Nino darlin'?" she asked. He replied with a laugh, "Why, to ambush Madeleine's Life Stealers once they take the supplies, of course! With less _guerreros_, the Life Stealers will become weaker. After a few weeks, we will be ready to swoop in and demolish them!"

Vizeli looked horrified – but not at the fact that they'd be betraying their allies. "Fighting?" she said with disgust. "You know how I feel about such uncouth brawlin'."

El Nino sighed, and his whiskers quivered. "I know, I know… you hate to dirty your paws." Then he picked himself up and glared at her with authority. "But if you don't do it, then I will give Lady Sapphire _permiso_ to do what I am sure she has wanted to for _mucho tiempo_."

The Floatzel shot a nervous glance at Sapphire. She giggled and winked, showing her sharp little teeth in an evil grin. "Fine, ya got me, darlin'," Vizeli finally sighed.

"_Excellente_!" El Nino beamed. "Now, you and Madeleine must know this – the _ruta_ in which the _carros de suministros_ travel is deep in Life Stealer territory. Vizeli, I shall give you a squad of Whiscash to back you up. Madeleine, you will help Vizeli when the time comes, _comprende_?"

Madeleine nodded, still silent as the grave. But then, she raised a claw and pointed at the still-bound Ruby. "What about the prisoner?" she asked quietly. Everyone turned around to look at the Lucario without concern.

"What about her?" snorted Rosaline, angrily raising her antennae. "Ze prisoner is 'elpless without any allies, no?"

A look of amusement flitted across El Nino's face, and he nudged Sapphire with his tail. Understanding immediately, she grinned until it looked like her pretty face was split in two. She floated over to the helpless Ruby and glowered down at her.

"Lights out, dearie," she whispered, then struck her with a single, powerful Night Shade. Ruby immediately slumped, and as the sticky poison lost its grip, flopped to the ground, dead in seconds.

"That takes care of that," El Nino said with satisfaction. "Now, the three of you go, and do not disappoint me!"

With those words, Madeleine, Vizeli, and Rosaline all exited El Nino's chamber, ready to carry out the Abyssal Raiders' evil plans.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Ruby belongs to . Vizeli belongs to ColaVixen Inc. Madeleine belongs to FinalPower. Neptune and Rosaline belong to ****_moi_****.**

**Yeah, Frillish have fangs. It isn't canon, of course, but they have to tear into their victims ****_somehow_****! I've always pictured Frillish to be like Sirens – unassumingly deadly.**

**Hey, Batwings, you've got cousins! XD**

**Anyway – the Abyssal Raiders are planning to strike down the Bughaven Kingdom's royal family as well as their own allies, the Life Stealers! Will this cunning and powerful group of villains eventually get what they want? Do they really not care about the Shards?**

**Lady Sapphire: "Review please, my dears!" *giggles girlishly***

**Chapter Question #9: Give me your thoughts on the Abyssal Raiders gang. Is it a good group of villains? Who's your favorite of the bunch?**


	20. Interlude 1 - Gaby's Discovery

**At least one of you readers came looking for background, so I hope that this chapter clears a few things up.**

**Also, I managed to re-enable PMs on my account, so you guys can now send me one of those if you have a question or something.**

-.-.-.-.-.

**Several Weeks Ago**

It was an ordinary day in Seaside Village. The sky was clear, and Pokemon were bustling around the market square as usual. The Kirlia nervously made her way around the crowds, exclaiming quietly and muttering "Excuse me," or "Sorry," to those she accidentally bumped into.

Gaby's mother, Adrianna, had just this morning pronounced Gaby old enough to go out into Seaside Village without her. And this was Gaby's first excursion into the crowded market. She double-checked the grocery list and shifted the basket nestled in the crook of her arm – Gaby did not want her first assignment to go wrong, no matter how trivial it might be.

The first item on the list was simple. Apples were always in stock at the Kecleon Market, so she immediately made her way there. On the way, she passed Team Fossil's Sunken Treasures, where two loud, arguing voices were coming from inside. "I'm tellin' ya, it was an accident this time! Geez, just one broken Clamperl shell and ya brand me fer life!" squawked the younger voice. Gaby was too far away by then to hear the angry reply.

The owners of Kecleon Market were as cheerful as ever. "Well hello, Miss Gaby~!" exclaimed the green Kecleon. "Off shopping for the family today?" added the purple one. The Kirlia just shrugged and grinned. The Kecleon brothers always put her in a good mood.

She triple-checked her grocery list. "Could I buy… three Apples?" she asked after a moment. Green beamed at her and replied, "Why, certainly!" A moment passed as he poked around the back of the shop and came back holding three shiny red Apples. "That will be 15 P, if you may," Green sang.

Gaby hastily drew the money from her pocket and placed it on the counter. "Thanks," she said, placing the fruits neatly in her basket. "No, thank _you_, Miss Gaby," insisted Purple. "You are an admirable young lady, and it's always nice to receive a visit from you~!" The Kirlia simply smiled and walked back off into the crowd, which seemed even thicker the closer she got to the market square.

However, on her way to the next shop, Gaby witnessed something intriguing. She stopped on the side of the cobblestone road and watched two powerful-looking Pokemon poring over a map of some kind.

"I'm telling you, Jules, we should have taken the other tunnel," the Scyther was saying, pointing with a blade to a spot on the map. Her Charizard companion shook his head and argued, "No way, Razor! The Zubat nest was one of the landmarks, and we could have gotten past if that Spinarak hadn't fallen on my head and blinded me!"

The Scyther sighed and grabbed the map. Rolling it up (don't ask how), she tossed it in a nearby trash can. "There probably wasn't even any treasure there," she scoffed. "That lying Meowth is going to get a piece of my mind if we ever cross paths again…" The duo walked off into the crowd without another word.

Gaby cautiously picked her way over to the trash can, avoiding the other Pokemon that crossed her path. When she got there, she fished out the rolled-up map and flattened it out again. Her brow furrowed as she studied the roughly drawn paths. At the end seemed to be a chamber marked with a big 'X'. The words "treasure here" was scrawled hastily at the bottom.

The Kirlia was very interested in the possibility of treasure, but not interested enough to keep such an item. After all, she should leave the exploring to the rescue teams. However, a chamber drawn at the bottom of the map caught her eye. It was marked "Refuge Cave".

Her eyes widened. Refuge Cave was the nickname given by the locals to the huge cavern at the base of the mountains, relatively near the housing district. If there was treasure there… now _that_ was interesting.

Rolling the map back up, Gaby decided to dwell on it later. She tucked the paper in between the Apples and walked back toward the market square, checking her list again. _Pecha Berries, _she thought. _Topaz isn't coming down with a fever again, is he?_

-.-.-.-.-.

When Gaby set out again, it was after she had picked up all of the groceries and safely delivered them to her mother. Adrianna had beamed and congratulated her for a job well done before rushing off with the Pecha Berries – if her baby brother was indeed feeling the first mild stages of a fever, they were most likely for the medicine that Adrianna usually made for Gaby when she was sick. The Kirlia had made a disgusted face at the thought and then ran to her room to prepare for what she wanted to do next.

Now, she was walking down the path that she knew led toward the Refuge Cave, examining her map. Apparently there were a few obstacles that needed to be worked around, but Gaby decided to jump those bridges when she came to them.

And indeed she did. When she got inside of the cave and began to travel deep into the narrow tunnel at the back, the Kirlia came across a wall of mist that soon revealed itself to actually be a group of Gastly. She managed to Double Team her way around the Ghost-and-Poison-types, and those that tried to attack were blasted aside with her Confusion.

The chasm they were guarding was similarly easy to get past – Gaby had great balance and was able to cross the rock bridge without any trouble. All of the Zubat and Golbat hanging from the ceiling were asleep, so they didn't give her any grief either.

Only the Drilbur warrens were tricky to get past – the Ground-type Pokemon weren't too happy to see an unexpected visitor in their midst. They had quickly surrounded her, clearly thinking that one intruder wouldn't be so hard to deal with. The Drilbur obviously thought wrong, as a few well-placed Magical Leaves soon sent them scurrying back into their holes.

At last, after about an hour or two of spelunking, Gaby came across the final chamber. Her eyes widened at the dazzling sight of the piles of gold and gemstones twinkling in the light of her makeshift torch.

She spent about three minutes walking around and examining the precious trinkets, wondering if she should take at least some of it back. _Mother really would like this,_ she thought, holding up a bright yellow topaz. _My brother too, come to think of it. Good thing I brought my treasure bag… _But the thought automatically trailed off as she caught sight of something else at the back of the cave.

Gaby put the jewel down and traveled to the back of the small chamber. She reached into the pile of gold at her feet and pulled out the object that had caught her attention – it was a deep blue stone, but not a gemstone. Instead, it seemed to be some kind of metal. _Fascinating, _Gaby thought, turning the strange stone over in her hands.

That was when something spoke to her. The Kirlia froze and tried to make sense of the sensation running through her head now. There were no decipherable words or even pictures being projected into her mind, but all of a sudden, she knew the truth.

This was one of the legendary Shards. Gaby had first heard of them in one of the bedtime stories her mother used to read to her when she was little. But she had always dismissed them as nothing but a myth.

The stone in her hand was telling her otherwise. The Shards were indeed real, and they were vital to the welfare of the world. They were scattered all over the continent, and they had to be brought back together if they were to end the natural disasters and bring peace back to the land.

Gaby put the Shard back in the pile. Now all was clear to her – this cave and its contents had to remain a secret. She would tell no one about this, not a soul. Except…

_…The Guardians,_ she realized. _Yes, I must find them and tell them that a Shard exists here! The Water Faction… no, the continent… no, the entire Pokemon world depends on this Shard, and my ability to keep it a secret!_

The Kirlia took one last look at the cave and its treasures, and then ran swiftly away, the piles of valuables fading into the darkness as her torch ceased to illuminate them.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Jules and Razor both belong to Megadracosaurus. They'll be reappearing later in the story, although I'm not sure when…**

**This chapter is short, but it's meant to be. I'll be doing several of these interludes as time goes on – I'm going to use them to explain things that happened in the past, things that really shouldn't be explained simply by two characters having a dialogue.**

**The next chapter should be up soon, so R+R and wait for it!**


	21. The Secret of the Shards

**Back to the main story, folks, where more will be revealed about the importance of the Shards.**

**Not to mention… we finally get to meet the Guardians! Do they indeed know of the crises that have been conspiring in the world at large?**

**Transmorphic Wyvern: I'm beginning to think I'm blessed with immortality, because every time you review, I die laughing.**

-.-.-.-.-.

Everyone gathered on the deck of the _Windchaser_ exchanged confused looks as they waited for Team Bloodsucker to arrive. The trio had instructed them to meet them on the deck, as they had something of importance to inform them about, but none of them had any idea in the slightest as to what this was all about.

Suddenly, the members of Team Bloodsucker appeared from below deck. Burner went first, followed by Drain, and then Tesla brought up the rear. She appeared to be holding something in her claws – at first glance it looked like just a bundle of webbing, but upon closer examination, it seemed to be a small Pokemon _trapped in_ a bundle of webbing.

The three bugs took their positions in front of their passengers. Tesla held up the struggling Pokemon, which everyone could now see was a Purrloin. She couldn't talk or move due to the silk covering almost her entire body, but either way no one could ever recall seeing her before.

"As you can see," Burner began, pointing a leg at the Dark-type, "we have an unexpected guest aboard the Windchaser. We caught this little rascal sneaking around, eavesdropping on our conversations. We have reason to believe that she was planted on this ship as a spy."

The Purrloin gave a muffled reply and struggled even harder. Tesla sighed and tore off the webbing covering her mouth. Instantly, the Purrloin said desperately, "OK, OK, you got me! I'm part of the Life Stealers! Happy now?!"

Drain took note of the befuddled looks of the other Pokemon. The Pendrula stepped forward and explained, "The Life Stealers are another gang of criminals that dwell in the Dunedust Desert, if you'll pardon the alliteration. They are allied with the Darkfeather gang, which we are all well acquainted with, and are as well searching for the Shards."

Gaby and Luke both frowned at this. Pteryx squawked loudly, "Ya mean that this here pipsqueak is partners with that moron Rudy the Krokorok?" Burner nodded, knowing the Pokemon that Pteryx spoke of well.

"Yes, that's true," the Purrloin sighed, apparently giving up her struggles. "I'm Shadepelt, and yes, I'm partners with Rudy. I was, as Team Bloodsucker said, planted on this ship as a spy to keep tabs on that Kirlia there," she added, gesturing with her head at Gaby.

"However," Shadepelt continued, "I'm sick and tired of the Life Stealers! All we did was run around looking for these mythical stones that might not even exist, and all we did was fail miserably at it! That's why I want to come with you to the Guardians' secret island and tell them everything they need to know to beat the Life Stealers."

Her outburst got mixed reactions from the onlookers – mostly skepticism, but a few such as Tortuga and Burner looked very interested. "Are you seriously considering what she's saying?" Drain asked his leader incredulously. "She's a Dark-type, remember? It's just a ploy to earn our trust for her own malicious purposes!"

The Moskeeteor pointed out, "You're a Dark-type as well, Drain. But you also have a very good point – no matter what this one says, we shouldn't trust her."

Shadepelt nodded her head and squirmed uncomfortably in her little cocoon. "That's smart of you," she said with a grimace. "I probably wouldn't believe me either." Burner silenced her with a glare and turned to address the group of Pokemon in front of him.

"As the leader of a very experienced rescue team," he stated clearly, "I see no harm in allowing this Purrloin to join us for the time being." There were several gasps and mutterings, and he continued in a raised voice, "However, you must not reveal anything, no matter how small, to her – as Drain said, she may be trying to earn our trust for her own advantage."

Everyone nodded as one, although Cobalt took a moment to consider before cautiously adding his consent. Burner then gestured to Tesla, who used her claw to slice through the remaining webbing, allowing Shadepelt to go free. "Argh, pins and needles…" she muttered with a wince, stretching out her limbs and trying to get the blood circulating through them again.

"Remember," Burner cautioned, and his warning was picked up by his two teammates. "Don't trust her," they said in unison.

"Are you kidding?" Cobalt piped up. "I trust her about as far as I can throw this boat." Pteryx, Gaby, and Team Eevui all nodded with agreement. Shadepelt just sighed miserably.

_The price of being a criminal,_ she thought to herself. _It'll take a lot of work to get these folks to trust me._

-.-.-.-.-.

The doors to the chamber burst open, allowing light to flood the otherwise dim room. The Jirachi flinched badly at the sudden noise, looking up from his study of the map of the continent on his desk. Team Sunburst was there, all looking out of breath, sweaty (only in their leader's case – reptiles don't sweat after all), and very, very troubled.

"What is it?" the young Legendary asked, tilting his head in confusion. The Espeon leader took a few seconds to catch her breath before gasping, "My King… the Shards… two have been taken…"

The Jirachi sighed – if he had to have a reason to hate being the King of the Guardians, then it was for that stupid title itself. "Please, Grace. I beg you, call me Stellar," he said wearily, having said this a million times before. "And what's this about the Shards? Two have been found already? That's great news!"

Grace shook her head, and the Tyranitar behind her stepped forth. "It ain't good at all, sir," he rumbled. "It warn't the Discoverers who found 'em. It was the darned Darkfeathers and Raiders."

Stellar gasped and fell out of the air from his levitating position. He landed on the ground with a soft *thud*, and picked himself up shakily. "Wh-what was that again, Rex?" he asked with a nervous grin. "I must still have water in my ears from my bath earlier today. What did you say?"

Rex growled and took a heavy step forward, about to yell at the young King, but his Serperior companion closed his mouth with his tail. "That is enough, Rex," he said softly. "No need to go running your big mouth when it will only get you into trouble."

The Tyranitar was outraged, slapping the tail away and opening his mouth again, but Grace made a sound between a sigh and a growl and slammed Rex's mouth closed with Psychic. "Would you _please_ stop this idiotic bickering?" she demanded angrily. "We're supposed to be a Platinum-ranked rescue team, and the two of you are acting like a bunch of rookies!"

The Serperior slithered forward and bowed his head humbly as he addressed the still-shocked-and-slightly-amused Jirachi. The two were very close friends, having known each other since the serpentine Pokemon was just a child, but that was no reason to throw common courtesy out the window.

"Dearest Stellar," he began, "what my inconsiderate comrade means to say is that it was not the Discoverers who found their Shards. Well, technically they did, but they were both taken by the leaders of the Abyssal Raiders and Darkfeather gang."

Stellar gulped. "I was kind of hoping that you guys were kidding, Basil," he quavered. "This is terrible! I-if they get their hands – claws, wings, tentacles, whatever! – on the other Shards, we're all doomed! They'll rip the world apart and then create a new one, one of chaos and disorder and evil and…"

The Jirachi took a long, gasping breath in order to calm himself down. Stellar was hundreds of years old, but still only a child. He wasn't fully confident in his abilities as King of the Guardians, or even a simple leader, and was prone to panic attacks. That's why he always kept Team Sunburst as his closest advisors – although the fact that they were the best rescue team on the island helped as well.

But now, Stellar floated back into the air and tried his best to look like a leader. "Basil, you check on all the other rescue teams – call a meeting if you have to – and tell them this dreadful news. Rex, you make sure that this island's location remains a strict secret. It is more important then ever for us to be hidden from those villains."

Basil and Rex both nodded and exited the chamber, closing the doors behind them and throwing the room into darkness once more.

"What about me?" Grace asked, eyes quickly adjusting to the dimmer light. Stellar floated back over to the far wall, where there was a mural carved into the wood – five Shards floating around a pair of Pokemon, one resembling a Sawsbuck and the other looking like a mutant Mandibuzz.

"You stay here with me," the Jirachi said, looking back at the Espeon. "We need some time together to talk." Grace nodded loyally and stepped up beside her friend, examining the mural alongside him. Underneath the picture was an ancient recitation, said to have come from Arceus himself:

_The five Shards,_

_Fire, Water, Air, Earth, and Life,_

_Keep the Embodiments of Good and Evil in balance._

_One day the Shards will become scattered,_

_And Xerneas and Yveltal will be released._

_The Legendaries will sleep the sleep of shadows,_

_And do nothing to help as Good and Evil clash,_

_And natural disasters batter the land._

_Those who control the Shards,_

_Control Xerneas and Yveltal,_

_And thus the fate of the world will be in their hands._

_The Discoverers are destined to wield the Shards,_

_And reunite them so the Legendaries may awaken once more._

As far as ancient prophecies went, it was pretty straightforward. However, there was indeed some mystery in the recitation – not even Stellar knew anything about Xerneas and Yveltal or what kind of Pokemon they were. And then there was the part that read "_The Legendaries will sleep the sleep of shadows_". Did that mean death? Or simply an enchanted slumber?

"My Ki – Stellar," Grace said quietly, "I do not like the way things are turning out. The Shards are crying out in pain and fear. The rescue teams and explorers are all uneasy – all of them feel that something is wrong in this world."

The Jirachi chuckled and replied, "Yes, we all know that there is something terribly wrong. The Shards are supposed to be united if the world is to be kept in balance. And thanks to your ability to hear their voices, we already know a great deal more than others. Who knows what would happen if you couldn't do so, and us Guardians were left in the dark about all this?"

The Espeon thought about this, and decided that the child King had a point. If she wasn't able to hear the Shards' voices, then she wouldn't have known that the Darkfeathers and Abyssal Raiders had found two of them already. And that would most definitely be disastrous.

"My friend," said Stellar, thinking as he spoke, "could I ask you something?" When she nodded, he went on cautiously, "I really think we ought to do something about this, but the only problem is that I can't think of anything to do. We need to find the Discoverers – I know the Abyssal Raiders caught one, and Team Knights hasn't come back from their rescue mission of him… but where are the others? How do we figure out where they are?"

Grace allowed a smile to crease her face. "Well, thanks to my ability to hear the Shard's voices, I already know the name of two of them – one of which is the same one Team Knights went to go find."

The Jirachi looked at her and seemed to deflate with relief. "Really? That makes my job so much easier!" he exclaimed. "Who are they?"

Thinking back to the Shards' pleas for help that she had overheard, Grace replied, "The one held prisoner by the Raiders is named Cliff. The other is Gaby." Stellar raised his eyebrows at this. "Gaby?" he asked. "As in Lancelot's daughter?"

Grace smiled again and nodded. "Yes, she's the one, I believe," she said, and the King slapped a hand into his open palm. "Well then, there isn't any time to lose!" he announced. "Grace, I need you to help Basil and Rex with their tasks, and when everything is under control, inform Team Sand Dragons that they need to head to Seaside Village and find Adrianna and Gaby."

The Espeon bowed, stopping midway when she caught Stellar's annoyed look. "Sorry, Stellar," she said apologetically. "I'll go tell Rex and Basil right now, and then I'll go find Team Sand Dragons. They didn't take any jobs from the Bulletin Board today, so I think they're somewhere on the island."

Stellar smiled and hugged Grace around the neck. "Thank you," he said sincerely. "You're the greatest." The Espeon raised a paw and hugged him gently back, before pushing him away and bounding through the doors, which she opened with Psychic. An instant later, the doors were closed again.

The Jirachi stared after her for a second before floating back into his chair and pulling out his map again. _Two Shards have been taken!_ he thought, the realization swirling around his head over and over again. _I need to make a plan to get them back, before they're all gone and the world's fate is resting in the hands of our mortal enemies!_

-.-.-.-.-.

"Don't worry. My teammates and I are going to inform the other rescue teams about this as well. Just don't panic and be prepared to help in any way you can." The Azurill nodded to show he understood, and then hopped off. Basil watched him go join his rescue teammates, then slithered off to the next hut.

The Guardians' island was tropical and dominated by huge, twisting trees. Because the trees' branches easily reached their neighbors', it was easy to move from one tree to another. An entire town had been built in these trees, and this was where all the rescue teams lived their lives.

The biggest tree was in the center of the grove, and in its gigantic hollow was where the Bulletin Board and various shops were located. It could be considered the "town square" of the island. Also in this huge tree was where the King and his closest advisors lived and met.

In the other trees were many platforms and huts, which was where the hundreds of other rescue teams lived. Down on the ground were more huts, which belonged to rescue teams who seldom stopped by the island and lived elsewhere. Then there were the docks, where many boats were anchored. Together, all these components helped to create a developed society known only to the rescue teams.

The Serperior knocked on the door of the hut he had approached, which was on a lower platform than the previous one. In the back of his mind, he marveled at the design of the platforms, which wrapped around the trees, often dipping and rising repeatedly to cover as much of the trunk as possible.

The door opened, and the Pokemon who answered was none other than the leader of Team Sand Dragons. The Flygon blinked in surprise before opening into a warm smile. "Basil, what brings you here?" he asked, gesturing for the Serperior to come in.

But Basil shook his head and replied, "There isn't any time for that, Junpei. I've come to deliver a message to you – the Abyssal Raiders and Darkfeathers have gotten two of the Shards."

Junpei jumped back as if he had been scalded. "They… what?" he stammered. "I'm an optimistic guy, but… no good can come of that!"

Basil nodded wisely. "I'm glad to see you understand the importance of this situation," he said. "I was only stopping by to deliver this message – pass it on to Eugene and Terence, and be prepared to help when needed. Alright?"

The Flygon responded, "Yes, yes, of course! You can count on this rescue team to help. We'll always be ready." The Serperior smiled with satisfaction and began to back away from the door. "Thank you," he said. "Take care."

But before Junpei could shut the door, there came an urgent cry from the next platform. "Waaaaiiiit!" it called – it was Grace. Instead of walking or even running down the steps, she jumped down from her platform onto Team Sand Dragons'. Basil blinked, eyes widening. He hadn't expected _this_.

"What in Arceus' name, Grace?" he exclaimed, stunned. "What could possibly be the big rush?" The Espeon didn't answer right away – instead, she panted for a bit before turning to a shocked Junpei.

"I… have a… mission for you… from the King," she gasped. Hearing this, Junpei lost his shocked expression and switched to a curious one. "Alright, I'm always up for an adventure," he replied with his usual cheerful grin. "What does he want us Sand Dragons to do?"

Grace shook herself and stood up straight. "The King wants you, Eugene, and Terence to head to Seaside Village to retrieve Lancelot's family. His daughter's a Discoverer."

The reply she got came from neither Basil nor Junpei, who only looked at her with completely startled expressions. Instead, a voice boomed from behind the Flygon, "What?! That little Kirlia's a Discoverer? Well, I'll be a Mankey's uncle!"

Eugene shoved Junpei out of the threshold so he could get past the door. The Garchomp folded his arms and looked at Grace amusedly. "Can that be true?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Of course it is!" cried another voice, and Terence slithered out from the hut to "stand" beside his comrades. The Terralyrk was a hideous blend of worm, leech, and dragon, with dark green crystals growing all along his body. He now glared at Eugene and continued, "Grace can hear the voices of the Shards! And even if she couldn't, you think she'd lie about this?"

The Garchomp growled as Junpei hastily stepped between them in case a fight broke out. "I guess you're right," he said apologetically. "Sorry for doubting you, Grace." The Espeon just shrugged.

There was a brief moment where no one said nor did anything. "Well?" Junpei finally said, adjusting his scarf – it was bright red, and pinned to it was a gold medallion in the shape of a dragon-shaped flame. "Let's go, Sand Dragons! We have a Gardevoir, Kirlia, and Ralts to pick up in Seaside Village!"

-.-.-.-.-.

**Team Sunburst belongs to TriMaplenut. Junpei belongs to Ins4ne Gam3r and the others of Team Sand Dragons belong to me. Stellar belongs to me as well.**

**So, the Guardians make an appearance! It seems as if they're quite on top of things, and are doing their best to preserve their secrecy so trouble doesn't come to their shores. But because of this, will Barn, Elf, and all of the others ever find them?**

**Review please, and see you for the next chapter! (And make sure to check my Deviantart account for a picture of Terence!)**

**Chapter Question #10: Does this chapter clear anything up? Or does it just create more mysteries to be solved?**


	22. Reunions in Dire Situations! Part 1

**After taking a peek at the Guardians' plans for the Shards and their Discoverers, we're going to go right back to our main characters and see how well they are faring!**

-.-.-.-.-.

The Carvanha guards shoved their captives down another hallway. Terra winced at the touch of the fish's Rough Skin and went in the direction they forced her to. Cenric glared at the soldier that shoved him and swam smoothly onwards with his propeller tail. Wyvern took clumsy strokes with his wings and tail, all the while looking at their surroundings.

They had been taken a fair distance northeast of Deepdark Island when they had come across a huge underwater trench. Swarming around the place were Eelektrik, Basculin, and tons of other fearsome Water-types. As a member of Team Fossil, Wyvern didn't have to have the IQ of an Alakazam to figure out who these aquatic thugs were.

"The Abyssal Raiders," he murmured, just loud enough for Terra and Cenric to hear. "Who are…?" Terra began, but was cut short as her air bubble abruptly ran out. She spluttered for a second before the Krabby attached to her back blew another Bubble. In only an instant, she was able to breathe again.

"We'll tell you later," whispered Cenric, eyeing the Carvanha with a new understanding. He, too, had heard a lot about the gang said to dwell in the northern part of the western ocean. Unfortunately, none of what he had heard was very appealing.

The long, quiet journey through the halls of the fortress finally ended at a massive, circular cavern. The rock that made up the walls and floor seemed to be glowing, giving illumination to what would otherwise be a dim room.

But now, the Carvanha soldiers were nudging the trio upwards, toward the top of the cavern. Wyvern realized that there was actually a surface to the water in this place, meaning that there was breathable air here.

Indeed there was – all three of them broke the surface, air bubbles popping as soon as their heads rose from the water. Now they could see that they were in a huge lake, and the cavern beyond it was enormous. The ceiling was far above them, with numerous stalactites hanging down from it. The largest of them, at least ten feet long, still didn't come close to touching the water's surface.

The Carvanha nudged them toward the shore of the lake, and they clambered up onto the stone, relieved to have somewhere to put their feet again. But although the Carvanha stayed in the water, they still weren't free, as two great Crawdaunt advanced from the tunnel in front of them to take custody of them. Terra shivered and drew closer to Wyvern, while Cenric just stood and glared, unfazed.

The Ruffian Pokemon took positions at either side of the group and marched them into the tunnel. When they entered, all three of them could see that they were in a dungeon of sorts – cells, complete with barred doors, lined the walls of the tunnel. Most of them were empty, but some of them contained miserable-looking Pokemon, or at least signs of them.

Terra flinched backwards as an exhausted Treecko reached out from in his cell with a quavering arm and rasped something too quiet to hear. Cenric slapped his arm away, much to the amusement of the two Crawdaunt, who gave small snorts of laughter as the Treecko retreated back into his cage.

Far from the tunnel's entrance, the Crawdaunt finally stopped and selected a cell. With a start, Wyvern noticed it was already occupied – and then the guards shoved him through with their pincers, causing him to squawk in surprise and hit the floor hard. Terra and Cenric followed him in, with similar squeaks or grunts of pain. The Crawdaunt shut the door and left them alone with their cellmates.

There were four – a Gallade, Charmeleon, Growlithe, and Escavalier. The Charmeleon cracked open an eye from his position against the wall and lazily observed the newcomers. The Gallade was in a similar position, only with his knees drawn up against his chest. He looked up and blinked in surprise at the new prisoners.

"…Wyvern?" he finally said, a little doubtfully. The Archeops picked himself up and observed him with equal doubt. "…Lancelot, right? Leader of Team Knights?" he asked.

The Psychic-and-Fighting-type nodded and stood up. He extended a hand, which Wyvern shook. "Yes, that would be me," he replied. "And you're the leader of Team Fossil, if I'm not mistaken. But where are the other two?"

Wyvern hung his head and explained, "There was a storm at sea, and we were separated. I ended up on Deepdark Island, where I met these two Pokemon." He gestured to his companions, who looked up at Lancelot in awe. Even they had heard the stories of him and his rescue team.

"Pleasure to meet you," Lancelot said with a nod. "I don't know if you've met my teammates, Wyvern. These are Fireclaw and Arthur." Said Pokemon gave solemn nods to the Archeops, but said nothing.

"I hope you'll excuse our current condition," Lancelot said apologetically. "On an ordinary day, we'd be a lot more willing to talk… but we've been penned up here for several days, waiting for something to happen to us."

All of a sudden, the Growlithe came out of the shadows, eyes fixed on Terra. Eyes drawn to the movement, Terra's own eyes widened as she recognized the Puppy Pokemon. "Cliff!" she said joyfully, running to hug him. The Growlithe laughed and licked her several times across the cheek.

"You two know each other?" Cenric asked confusedly. Terra let go of Cliff and explained happily, "Yeah, we're cousins! But what are you doing here, Cliff?" she added, voice becoming worried.

There was silence for a few seconds, but at last Cliff answered her. "I was captured a few days before these guys," he said, indicating Team Knights with a sweep of his paw. "You ever heard of the Shards? Well, I found one of them and went to Vulcana City, hoping to find the Guardians and give it to them."

He paused for breath as Wyvern and Cenric looked at him curiously. _He's a Discoverer? _Wyvern wondered. _And how did he get the idea to give the Shard to the Guardians? It's the right idea, no doubt about that, but just how did he think of it?_

"I sent a letter to the Guardians in advance through the Pelipper Mail Service," Cliff went on, but Terra interrupted him. "Pelipper Mail Service?" she asked, frowning with incomprehension. "It's an organization of Pelipper that dedicate themselves to delivering messages and missions to rescue teams," the Growlithe explained, before continuing with his story.

"Anyway, I sent off the letter with the Pelipper, and shortly after I was cleared to take a boat to the Guardians' secret island. But then an hour later, after I had left the city behind me, a huge swarm of Water-types just surged out of the ocean and destroyed the ship. They took me prisoner and killed the crew. Then when they brought me to this trench – it took two days to get all the way here – they took the Shard I was carrying and put me in here." Cliff stopped speaking and adjusted his torn-up bandana, enduring the painful, chaotic memories silently.

Terra's eyes flashed with a rare anger. "Don't worry, cousin," she said determinedly, straightening her own bandana. "We're going to break out of this cell, find that Shard, and deliver it to the Guardians."

Everyone looked at her, surprised with her sudden display of courage. The Charmander turned back to Cliff and finished, "And I'm going to find a way to make these villains pay for capturing you. No one gets away with kidnapping my cousin."

-.-.-.-.-.

Across the ocean, the _Windchaser _forged on through the choppy waves. According to Burner, they were already a quarter of the way toward the secret island of the Guardians, having moved southeast past the ruins of Diamond Island. It would still be a few more days before they would reach their destination, though, so everyone busied themselves with helping keep the ship in shipshape, so to speak.

Shadepelt, Jowl, and Sinestra were busy cleaning the deck. Team Bloodsucker had allowed the Purrloin to help out and mingle with the other Pokemon, choosing to believe her story and that she really had grown fed up with the Life Stealers. However, the precautions still stood, and everyone was careful not to reveal anything to her that would potentially come back to bite them in the rear.

Due to their proximity to Diamond Island, Miranda and Tortuga had swum off to see if there was anything drifting around in the surrounding area that they could use. Okami and Gaby were cleaning out the cabins, Amanita was napping, and Tesla was fishing with her electrically charged silk. Pteryx and Luke were also making themselves useful, handing out cleaning rags or fishing bait, amongst other things.

Taking a moment's break to wipe the sweat from her brow, Shadepelt stood up to admire her work. The entire deck was almost clean, thanks to her and the Eevee siblings. The Devious Pokemon suddenly noticed Sinestra trying to clean inside of a dusty crevice between two heavy crates, but her front leg was too short to reach very far inside.

"Here, let me help you with that," Shadepelt said, slinking over with her rag. She gently pushed the Eevee aside and reached into the gap, swiping it clean in just a minute.

The little Evolution Pokemon was overwhelmed by the kind gesture. "Th-thanks," she said shyly, before scampering off to join her brother in cleaning the inside of the Murkrow's nest. Right now, the bowl-shaped platform was lowered to the deck, allowing them to safely access it. When needed, it would be raised to the top of the mast by a series of ropes and pulleys.

Shadepelt was very thankful that she was allowed to help out freely with the other Pokemon – not that they enjoyed her company anyway. But that didn't matter right now – the Purrloin wasn't ready to make friends just yet anyway. What did matter was earning their trust the hard way, through good deeds and elbow grease.

Suddenly, there was a splashing noise that came from over the edge of the _Windchaser_. Shadepelt looked down curiously and saw the Vaporeon and Tirtouga – _Miranda and Tortuga, right?_ Shadepelt thought – floating there with their heads sticking out of the water. "Hey, there!" called Tortuga, waving a flipper. "Can you get Tesla to pull us up on deck?" The Purrloin nodded and waved to show that she understood, then scurried off to find Tesla.

She indeed found her, standing over the port side of the ship and tugging on a sparking thread of silk. The Bug-and-Electric-type finally hauled up her catch – a large, smoking Magikarp, tangled up in the electrical wire and thrashing futilely. Tesla rubbed her two front legs together with satisfaction before noticing Shadepelt standing there expectantly.

"Oh, hello Shadepelt," the Conductula said politely, as the Magikarp grew more sluggish as it flopped weakly in its bonds. "Nice job cleaning the deck, by the way. What can I do for you?"

Inwardly, Shadepelt smiled – Tesla was a lot more willing to accept her than some of the others. She pointed to the starboard side of the _Windchaser_ and responded, "Miranda and Tortuga are back, and they want you to pull them up."

Tesla nodded in thanks and scuttled off to do so. Shadepelt watched her leave, and then the exhaustion from the couple hours' work she had done caught up with her. Sighing heavily, with her tail and ears drooping tiredly, she slunk off toward the hatch leading below deck, looking forward to a long nap.

When Tesla arrived at the starboard side, she looked over the edge to find the two Water-types waiting for her. "Ahoy there!" Miranda called, flicking her tail playfully as she swam alongside the ship. "Can you pull us up?"

The Conductula gave a Bug-type's version of a smile, turned around, and crawled partway down the ship's hull. She shivered her abdomen a bit, and then a single strand of webbing came slipping down to dangle just over the Water-types' heads. It didn't spark with any kind of voltage – unlike the Joltik and Galvantula species, her species could not only control the amount of electricity in their threads, but they could also produce threads that were completely lacking in charge.

After pausing a moment to determine how high to reach, Miranda grabbed the end of the thread in her paws, while Tortuga leapt out of the water and clamped down on it with his beak. "Gaw ih!" he mumbled, and Tesla (somehow) understood. She crawled back up onto the ship, slowly and cautiously due to the fact that she was supporting two Pokemon.

Finally, after much effort on her part, she finally hauled the two of them up. _How Burner managed to carry me in his legs and away from the Darkfeathers that time, I'll never know,_ she thought, panting quietly.

"Did you find anything?" Tesla asked, getting her breath back. Miranda shook her head and slumped to the deck, tired after all of that swimming. "No," she confirmed. "But I caught a glimpse of something swimming in the distance. I thought it was something useful, but it was just a Sharpedo. I managed to swim off before it could see me."

But just then, the water around the _Windchaser_, while already choppy with waves, seemed to surge with a new intensity. The cause of this sudden activity was revealed when a horde of Water-types emerged from the depths to surround the ship. "Or maybe not…" muttered Miranda.

In seconds, Burner and Drain were there. "What is all this?" Burner demanded, taking charge. "Miranda claims to have seen a Sharpedo while off on her scouting mission," Tesla replied. "She thinks that she had swam off before it could see her, but now that this army is surrounding us…"

Drain looked at her as if she had just grown a second head. "You're not saying…" he hissed, leaving the sentence unfinished. The Conductula pointed at the army, more specifically a Sharpedo making his way to the head of it. "I am," she said firmly.

The Water-and-Dark-type stopped about six meters from the boat and yelled up, "Team Bloodsucker! I was beginning to wonder when I'd see you again!" The three Bugs stiffened at his familiar voice. Burner fluttered his wings and hovered above the deck of the ship, so he could be seen better.

"General Fang," he returned the greeting, voice calm with an undercurrent of hostility. "How nice to cross paths with you again." He briefly turned to Drain and said, "Get the others gathered here, and make sure they're ready for a possible fight." The Pendrula nodded and scuttled off to complete his task.

"Let's dispense with the pleasantries, if you please," growled the General. "I want to make this quick. Hand over this ship and your crew and we won't have to resort to force."

Burner pretended to think. "So in other words," he stated, "our choices are to get captured, or to get captured after a bloody and gruesome battle. Hmm, what a decision."

General Fang snarled under his breath. "Either way, you're all coming with us. These are our waters now, and the seas belong to the Abyssal Raiders." The army behind him roared their agreement in a variety of voices.

"Well in that case…" Burner said, noticing Drain coming out from below deck with the other Pokemon. "I think we'll do this the hard way!"

On that cue, Tesla screamed, "Electroweb!" and shot a series of electrically charged nets at the Raiders. Most of them missed, but several snagged a few victims each, and their screams rang out into the air as the electricity fried them. "Attack! Go for the capture!" shouted General Fang, and the Water-types that weren't dying rushed forward with the might of a tidal wave.

"Everyone, prepare to defend the _Windchaser_! We go down fighting!" Burner screamed, taking to the air with his wings thrumming loudly. Okami and Cobalt led the cheer that ensued, and everyone readied for battle.

"Here they come! Let's show 'em what's what!" Pteryx squawked just as the first Abyssal Raiders climbed up onto the deck. "Dragonbreath!" he screamed, blasting a Barboach back into the water with a pulse of pink energy.

"Sky Uppercut!" called Cobalt, swinging his fist upwards and flinging a Tentacool into the air. "Double-Edge!" Luke screamed, slamming into the airborne jellyfish and sending it into the ocean as well.

Burner, Tesla, and Drain were keeping the Raiders at bay with a barrage of Air Slashes, Electrowebs, and Pin Missiles. However, they were tiring quickly, and their attacks were slowing as a result. More and more Water-types advanced forward, and fewer were picked off.

"Carvanha Squad! After the boat!" General Fang ordered above the noise of battle, and five of the red-and-blue fish dove under the surface, razor-sharp teeth ready to tear at the hull.

As the Raiders swarmed up onto the deck in increasing numbers, everyone was forced to work together to possibly survive the onslaught. Gaby, Okami, and Miranda guarded the three Eevees in the center of their defensive triangle, lashing out with their attacks at any Water-type that came close.

"Aurora Beam!" screamed Miranda, at the same time Okami and Gaby readied their Moonblast and Magical Leaf attacks. All three projectiles hit a bulky Poliwrath, which fell over the edge of the boat in a daze. But a Huntail and a Wartortle moved in to replace it, lunging out with Crunch and Skull Bash.

Gaby began to charge a Focus Blast, but if someone didn't do something to defend, then she knew that she wouldn't be able to get the attack off in time. But luckily, Miranda did just that, zipping in between the attackers and the defender and calling for an Acid Armor.

A liquid barrier coalesced in front of Miranda, and the two attacks glanced off of it. That was when Gaby finished her Focus Blast, hurling it at the Huntail and Wartortle and sending them flying far out over the ocean with a colossal impact.

But with Miranda busy defending Gaby, a gap opened up in the defensive triangle they had formed. An eager Corphish lunged at Sinestra, fully exposed to its charging Crabhammer. The little Eevee could only stare at it coming at her, frozen in fear.

But then a black shape streaked out of nowhere, and the Corphish was struck. It was thrown far off to the other side of the deck, multiple legs twitching. Shadepelt lightly landed in front of Sinestra, claws still glowing with black energy.

"Y-you saved me," Sinestra murmured in shock and awe. The Purrloin smiled kindly at her and readied another Shadow Claw, waiting for the fast-approaching Totodile to get in range. "That's what friends do," she replied over her shoulder to the stricken Eevee.

To herself, Shadepelt grinned. _The best way to earn someone's trust… is to save their lives,_ she thought, satisfied. She lashed out, sending the Totodile flying with a pained cry.

But just then, the Carvanha Squad's teeth succeeded in ripping a significant hole in the hull. The _Windchaser_ began to sink, and their time began to run out.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Terra's determination comes out with the need to protect her cousin Cliff, and the Abyssal Raiders are tightening their hold on the oceans. Will the ****_Windchaser_**** escape to the Guardians' island, will the Raiders claim the ship and its crew as their own, and is Shadepelt ****_really_**** on the rescue teams' side now?**

**Pteryx: "Review, why doncha – HEY! Tentacles off, pal!" *punches a Tentacool in the face***

**Wheatley: "I think he might have a minor case of serious brain damage now. But you know what? People with brain damage – they always turn out to be heroes in the end."**

**Pteryx: "What're ya doin' here? Skedaddle back off to yer little lab!"**

**I do not own Portal. Big surprise.**

**Chapter Question #11: If you could choose a criminal gang –whether it's the Raiders, Life Stealers, or Darkfeathers – to join as a member, who would you pick and why?**


	23. Reunions in Dire Situations! Part 2

**Time for Part 2, as we get back to Team Bloodsucker and their allies as they defend their doomed ship from a converging army of Water-types! Will the Abyssal Raiders have even more prisoners to fill their cells with?**

**Sorry this wasn't up sooner, I've been kind of busy lately.**

-.-.-.-.-.

"Rock Throw!"

"Rollout!"

"Shadow Claw!"

"Magical Leaf!"

"Flame Charge!"

All of these cries, and more, rang out into the salty sea air as the Pokemon defended the _Windchaser_ from the attacking Abyssal Raiders. But it apparently wasn't bad enough to have a horde of murderous Water-types swarming around and trying to subdue them – no, the ship was also sinking, thanks to the efforts of General Fang's Carvanha Squad. It was only a matter of time before they would have to make the decision to sink or swim, and no matter what they chose, they would end up captured.

The Raiders were getting battered by the barrage of attacks. Burner flew around whilst pelting them with Air Slashes, Pteryx climbed the mast and shot Dragonbreath after Dragonbreath at the Water-types trying to get at him, and everyone else fought valiantly on.

By now, the ship was a quarter of the way under the water, and still sinking. The Abyssal Raiders, just kept on attacking, knowing that the defendants would be at their mercy sooner or later. The defending Pokemon themselves knew this as well, but that knowledge only made them struggle even harder in vain hope that they would escape.

Eventually, inevitably, someone had to fall. The first one to do so was Okami, bravely fighting at the head of them all with Miranda at her side. She was so busy fending off an attack aimed at her partner that she didn't see the Chinchou sparking up its lanterns in preparation for a Thunder Wave. By the time Okami noticed the bolt of electricity speeding on its way, it was too late. It struck her in the side, with sparks coiling out around her from the site of impact, and she fell to the ground in a paralyzed daze.

The Vaporeon screamed with rage at the sight of her fallen leader and prepared to Tackle the Chinchou away, as it was now advancing on the unmoving Sylveon. But it met her with a powerful Spark attack, knocking the wind out of her and sending her to the deck painfully. Now without any opposition, the Chinchou and two of its colleagues closed in on Okami and began to drag her away.

No one could do a thing about it, as they were all caught up in their own battles. Okami's capture resulted in a point of weakness in the group's defense, and the Water-types surged in to take advantage of it.

Pteryx noticed from his perch and squawked down to his teammates, "Ahoy down there! Incoming wave – ha, _wave_ – of Raiders, so look sharp and fight on for yer freedom! Dragonbreath!" he added, blasting away an eager Mantyke.

Despite the Archen's warning, the attack came too quickly to effectively defend against. A Croconaw's Water Gun temporarily felled Luke, leaving Jowl undefended for the moment. He shrieked in fear as a Tentacool moved in, stunning him with Poison Sting. A moment later, the Eevee was being dragged away as well.

From his height high above the battle, Burner witnessed the helpless Jowl being captured, and dove down to help. However, he was instantly met by a hail of Water Pulses from the mouths of the Carvanha Squad, preventing him from interfering with the captures.

"Those Pokemon are ours now!" General Fang roared from the water below. "I'm not going to let you meddle with our plans again, Burner! Aqua Jet!" He suddenly burst forth and jetted into the sky, surrounded by a barrier of water. Burner easily dodged and looped back to face his foe, now suspended in the air and totally helpless.

"Bug Buzz!" the Moskeeteor shouted triumphantly, flapping his wings once and sending a single sonic boom rushing toward its target. It slammed into General Fang and sent the Sharpedo spinning off past the _Windchaser_ and into the water beyond it.

But even as Burner dealt with General Fang, another capture had been made. A lucky Magikarp flopped out of the water and right up to Pteryx, its desperately thrashing tail whipping him in the face and making him lose his grip. A pained squawk came from his beak as he plummeted uncontrollably into the midst of the battle. An instant later, he had been knocked out by a direct hit from a Poliwhirl's Hypnosis.

The _Windchaser_ was sinking faster now, and was already halfway from descending completely into the depths. It began to lean to one side, forcing everyone to adjust their center of gravity so as not to lose their balance. However, the tilt disrupted Gaby's aim, sending an otherwise perfect Focus Blast spinning away from its original target.

Cobalt quickly leapt in to deal with the Seadra she had aimed for, but the recoil from the Focus Blast had dazed her momentarily. Even as the Riolu administered a devastating Sky Uppercut to the Seadra's chin, another Chinchou hit Gaby in the back with a Thunder Wave, immediately paralyzing her. The Kirlia dropped to the deck, completely at her foes' mercy.

At the same time, Luke was fluttering high above the ship, blasting the Water-types with V-Create and Fire Blast to disappointing effect. If anything, he was hampering his allies with all the smoke thrown up from his attacks. Wisely deciding to stop, he suddenly caught sight of a school of Chinchou running off with Gaby in tow. The Victini made a split-second decision that would ordinarily terrify him, but his friend – no, she was so much more than a friend to him – was in danger, and friendship gave him strength.

_I have to save her!_ the thought roared in his mind, overriding every other thought. Luke's blue eyes narrowed as he folded his arms back and dove like a Staraptor at the Chinchou.

"V-Create!" he screamed as soon as he was close enough. His ears glowed with a fiery energy, and a V-shaped wave of fire shot forth, striking the Chinchou and scattering them all over. The sudden burst of power sent the little Victini spinning out of control. No longer able to control his flight, he landed smack-dab on top of Gaby.

He shook his head to clear it, only to meet Gaby's crimson eyes. Still under the influence of the paralysis, she managed to reach up shakily with a hand and touch the side of his face.

"Good… try…" she murmured with a smile, and Luke almost forgot there was a battle going on around them. But just then, a Thunder Wave struck him, and the Chinchou returned. "Thank you…" he managed to reply in a whisper, before they were both dragged away to a fate unknown.

-.-.-.-.-.

Burner, Drain, Tesla, and Miranda all combined their attacks, making a last stand against the advancing Abyssal Raiders as the ship continued to sink down to a watery grave. Tesla backed up a couple of paces as she shot an Energy Ball in response to a Hydro Pump, and said to her teammates, "You ready to go down fighting?"

Miranda fired a few Aurora Beams to give them some cover, and replied fiercely, "Always!" Drain nodded in agreement even as he blasted a wide Dark Pulse at their enemies, felling several at once.

"Then let us do so!" Burner replied, barraging the Raiders with Air Slashes. The four of them backed up some more, but were met with the rail surrounding the edge of the _Windchaser_. They were trapped, leaving their only escape the briny deep – where their foes would definitely have the advantage.

But just then, Miranda glanced over the edge of the ship and caught sight of the Carvanha Squad securing the prisoners and attaching Krabby Bubbles to their heads. "They're getting away with our friends!" she shouted, blasting a Relicanth in the face with her Aurora Beam.

Burner looked down as well, only to meet the glaring yellow eyes of General Fang. There was an unspoken challenge in those cold orbs. "Hold off the Raiders," he ordered firmly, thrumming his wings. "I'm going to make sure that no one gets away with anyone!"

The Moskeeteor lifted off and almost immediately dove down like an arrow at the Sharpedo. He was quick to respond, ordering his Carvanha to undergo defensive maneuvers. The fish Pokemon split into two groups and formed circles around the prisoners and the General, firing Ice Beams that lanced into the air. Burner didn't have to even exert himself as he seamlessly avoided each one. "Flame Charge!" he cried, igniting himself and streaking downwards like a blazing comet.

The Chinchou securing their captives looked up just then, saw the diving Mosquito Pokemon, and knew instinctively what he was trying to do. One Chinchou's sense of duty was stronger than the others', and swam in between two of the Carvanha to get a better shot at him. The other Chinchou looked at their comrade as if it were insane.

"Thunderbolt!" he squeaked, sparking up his lanterns. Two small electric bolts flew from the lanterns to form a ball of lightning in the middle. A massive electrical bolt shot out from the ball and struck Burner head-on, dealing super-effective damage. He stopped his attack and fell into the water with a splash.

"Ha! Gotcha now, Burner!" laughed General Fang, a rare occurrence. He moved in to claim the Moskeeteor, only to be met with a fierce flurry of Pin Missiles. The Sharpedo looked up to see the ferocious faces of Team Bloodsucker glaring down at him from the _Windchaser_. The unconscious bodies of his Abyssal Raiders floated around the sides of the ship.

"You're not getting away with our leader!" screamed Tesla. "Electroweb!" She shot a few electrified nets at him and his Carvanha, which each plunged into the water and snagged several victims. Because the nets were already touching the water when they hit, twelve Carvanha and a Chinchou were instantaneously fried.

General Fang almost panicked as more nets began to sail through the air. But he managed to keep his cool and think up a quick plan. "Carvanha Squad, stop those webs cold with Ice Beam!" he ordered, and the surviving piranha-like Pokemon fired their beams immediately.

The flying nets, already opening to catch their prey, froze solid the moment they met the Ice Beams. One by one, they dropped into the water with individual splashes. Tesla was momentarily confused, and didn't fire any more webs. General Fang used that time to order a retreat.

Three seconds later, they were gone, taking their prisoners with them and leaving the others to sink.

After a moment of shocked and overwhelming silence, Drain immediately took on the role of leader. "Tesla," he commanded, "you, Okami, and Amanita reel Burner in, and a few of those dead Carvanha if you can. We can't let fresh food go to waste." The Conductula nodded and gathered Okami and Amanaita at the side of the ship, already spinning her threads.

"Shadepelt," Drain continued, catching the Purrloin's attention. "If you really are on our side, take as many planks and nails as necessary from those crates. Then, go with Miranda to fix the holes that have been torn in the Windchaser's hull. Go as fast as you can, or we'll sink." The Devious Pokemon, while intimidated at the enormity of the role she had to play, leapt at the chance to prove herself. She and the Vaporeon bustled over to the nearest crate and hastily gathered what they needed.

"As for the rest of you," Drain finished, pointing to Sinestra, Tortuga, and Cobalt, "you'll be working with me to empty out the water already flooding this ship. Grab some buckets and follow me!"

The four Pokemon then rushed down the hatch and into the belly of the ship, ready to empty out the rapidly-submerging hull and to save their boat.

-.-.-.-.-.

The mood in the cell wasn't very cheerful. Then again, it _was_ a dungeon – they aren't supposed to be cheerful. But that's beside the point.

Wyvern and Team Knights were passing the time by telling stories of their past adventures. Lancelot and Arthur were currently in the middle of a tale of the time they had saved a trio of Shroomish trapped within a glittering crystalline cavern from an angry Kabutops. Wyvern was listening with rapt attention, occasionally interrupting with a question.

On the other end of the cell, nearer to the door, Terra, Cenric, and Cliff were talking quietly amongst themselves. Well, it was more like Terra and Cliff were talking – Cenric was off by himself, lost in thought.

_Will I ever escape this place?_ he asked himself. _Will I ever get the chance to go searching for my friend again? She could be dead for all I know, but until I find out for sure that she is, then I need to keep wandering._

As he stewed in his own thoughts, Terra and Cliff talked. Their conversation was varied in topics, but none of them were in any way enjoyable to talk about. Who were these Abyssal Raiders? Why had they captured them? What were they planning? Those questions were frequently asked, but never answered.

Finally, after they had been silent for a while, Terra spoke up again. "Remember what we used to do a few years ago?" the Charmander asked, and her cousin nodded. "Yes, I do," he replied. "We were an unofficial rescue team under one of the guilds in the Town of Peace."

Terra smiled at that memory. Although the Guardians ran all of the official, real-deal rescue teams, there were many unofficial guilds scattered around the continent and surrounding islands. Times were tough, and the Guardians couldn't protect an entire landmass – so many local Pokemon in many different places decided to take things into their own hands and form their own rescue team organizations. Terra had been the leader of Team Bluefire, a rookie team that consisted of Terra, her friend Cobalt, and Cliff whenever he visited from the Dunedust Desert.

"How do you think Cobalt's doing now?" Cliff asked, and then grew worried at the look of sadness that suffused his cousin's face. The Charmander's voice was broken as she replied, "There was an earthquake on Diamond Island… and me, Miss Evelyn, and Mister Alphonse were the only survivors…" She choked back a sob as she buried her face in her little hands.

Cliff moved to comfort her, but at that moment there was a sudden commotion that echoed from further down the hall. "Ow! Quit yer scratchin'!" a deep voice complained. From the strained tone of his voice, it was clear that whomever the voice belonged to was struggling with someone.

Then there was a loud crunching noise, and a scream of pain. "OOOWWW!" the voice screamed. "Offa my head!" Another, similar, voice scolded, "Well ya shouldn't have let go of 'im!"

By now, everyone in the cell was looking bemusedly at the tunnel beyond. The commotion sounded as if it were getting louder, until several minutes later, two Crawdaunt guards stomped into view, with their claws clearly full of trouble.

One of them was handling four prisoners – a Victini, Kirlia, Eevee, and Sylveon – while the other was flailing his pincers around and shouting in pain. Attached to his head Turtwig-style was an angry-looking Archen, clamping down with his massive beak.

An Archen's beak was a funny thing – whereas most predatory bird Pokemon had beaks designed more for pecking prey to death and stripping off bits of flesh, the First Bird Pokemon's beak was a lot more primitive. It was used more like a Gible's jaws than a traditional beak, being much more powerful and able to crush the bones of small Pokemon. Add to that a number of jagged fangs protruding from the sharp edges, and you've got one painful bite.

But none of that mattered right now – everyone, and Wyvern in particular, was staring in shock at the new prisoners. His heart leapt as he recognized Gaby, Luke, and Pteryx!

_Pteryx is awake, and feisty as ever!_ Wyvern thought with similar joy, tears flooding his eyes.

The first Crawdaunt opened the cell door and shoved the four Pokemon into the cell. As they hit the ground with thuds and grunts of pain, he immediately went to help his comrade pull Pteryx off of his head. At last, they managed to pry his jaws off, only to have the Archen bite down on the first Crawdaunt's pincer instead.

After five solid minutes of frustrating – and to the prisoners, amusing – struggles, they worked together to hold his arms down and clamp his beak shut. As one, they threw Pteryx into the cell as well, instantly slamming the door shut in case he tried to come after them again. They then bustled off as fast as they could.

"Come back and fight, ya cowardly barnacles!" Pteryx screeched, shaking his fist. Luke groaned and picked himself up. "Pteryx, now's not the time," he muttered, and then his blue eyes went wide as he spotted Wyvern.

Gaby and Pteryx spotted him too. There was a shocked quietness for a few seconds, and then Pteryx rubbed his eyes furiously. "I'm dreamin', right?" he asked, rubbing them again. "One'a them Crawdaunt musta clonked me on the head, right?"

Wyvern sat up and didn't move his gaze from his little brother. "No, I'm the one that's dreaming," he insisted. "You're with me again, and you're all right!"

Pteryx crossed his arms and said, "Of course I'm all right, ya half-wit. I'm Pteryx! Ya think that dumb Fearow was gonna be the end of me?" He was about to say something as well, but it was swallowed forcefully when Wyvern lunged forward and scooped his little brother into his arms tightly.

Luke zipped over and hugged Wyvern's arm, snuggling his head into the Archeops' feathers. Gaby went over as well and quickly hugged Wyvern's middle before retreating again. But the three of them remained in their embrace for a whole minute before they separated.

"Ah, it is Master Pteryx!" crowed Arthur, floating over and bowing deeply. "It is of great pleasure to see you again, fellow knight of the Guardians." Pteryx blushed ferociously and shuffled his talons, looking bashful. The Escavalier extended a lance, the end of which Pteryx grabbed and shook in greeting.

Lancelot sprang from his sitting position and wrapped his arms around Gaby, and she wholeheartedly returned the hug. "I'm so glad to see you're safe," the Gallade said, and she smiled faintly. "I can take care of myself, Father," she said, but squeezed him a little tighter.

Okami and Jowl, meanwhile, were looking around awkwardly at the happy reunions going on around them. Fireclaw hadn't moved, simply observing everything with his usual indifference.

Soon, though, those reunions had ended and everyone gathered in a circle. Introductions were made all around – Okami and Jowl were introduced to Team Knights and the former Team Bluefire, and said Pokemon were thusly introduced to the newcomers. As they had quite a bit of time on their hands (being trapped in a cage and all), they went above and beyond simply saying their names – they went on briefly about their lives in general, what rescue team they were on, et cetera.

However, after about an hour of delightful talking, another sudden commotion cut through the chatter like butter. Every occupant of the now-kind-of-crowded cell stopped and listened to what was going on. It sounded like an argument of some kind – two females by the sound of their voices – and was getting louder by the second. Someone was coming.

"I'm sorry, darlin', but I just refuse to do anymore of these here mundane chores around the fortress! I chipped a nail today washin' the floors in El Nino's chamber!" the louder, rougher voice said.

The second voice was smoother but similarly loud and angry. "Well, if I didn't have to _force you_ to do these 'mundane chores', then you wouldn't do any work at all around here!" it demanded. "I do what El Nino tells me to do, and thus _you_ have to do what _I_ tell you to do! If I was leader of this gang, your jobs would be infinitely worse, believe me!"

The first voice scoffed. "Please, darlin', what could be worse than scrubbin' floors 'till yer paws bleed?" it asked, and the second voice laughed evilly. "What could be worse?" the voice asked rhetorically. "How about digging your own grave? After all, you wouldn't live for _three minutes under my rule!_" The voice rose in volume until its owner was shrieking at the top of her lungs.

"Like ya could do any work at all if yer life depended on it!" shouted the first voice. "Why don't ya go cry to yer pansy of a husband!"

Instantly, there was a loud explosion that rocked the cell, knocking its inhabitants off balance. Smoke drifted down the hall as the tremor died down.

The first voice changed from loud and raucous to high-pitched and pleading. "Alright, alright! I'll do my duty, darlin'! I'm sorry!" it squeaked. As the sound of footsteps began to echo down the tunnel, the prisoners could just make out the second voice hissing, "Not yet, you aren't. I'd sleep with one eye open for the rest of your very short life, if I were you."

Finally, the mystery of whom the two voices belonged to was solved as their owners appeared at the door. One was a simultaneously grumpy-and-scared-looking Floatzel, and the other was a Frillish with a look of pure murder in her eyes. The cellmates all involuntarily took a step back.

Except Cenric. The Buizel was staring at Vizeli with his eyes bugging and mouth hanging. The latter opened and closed in shock uselessly. But at last, he found his voice, just as Vizeli noticed him as well, with similar surprise.

"M-m-mother?!" Cenric stammered.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Gasp! Cue the dramatic music!**

***Luke hits "play" on the CD player and country music starts***

**Pteryx: "Oh snap! We left in that square dancin' CD from last week's Ponyta rodeo!"**

**Anyways, moving on… "Reunions in Dire Situations, Part 3" will be up as soon as I can! And as you can imagine, not all of these reunions will necessarily be good…**

**Stay tuned, and watch for the next chapter!**

**Cenric: "… … …"**

**Luke: "Review please~!" *starts dancing with Gaby***

**Chapter Question #12: What are your thoughts on the new Pokemon in X and Y? Who are your favorites? Mine are Noivern, Yveltal, Clauncher, and Malamar!**


	24. Reunions in Dire Situations! Part 3

**I had the weirdest dream last night. I had just slain the Great Red Dragon from the Bone series, when his skin split and out popped a fifty-foot tall red giant with neon green, polka-dotted boxers.**

**Then he donned headphones and sunglasses and hopped behind a DJ table. He was joined by my HTTYD OC, Batwings the Siren, who was singing into a microphone, and Rathalos from Monster Hunter, strumming an imaginary guitar.**

**Oh God, what did I eat that gave me such horrid indigestion?!**

-.-.-.-.-.

Buizel and Floatzel simply stared at each other in complete and utter shock, a barred door separating them. The latter dropped the tray of food she had been carrying with a clang. Neither had expected to meet the other, or indeed to realize that the other still existed. Team Knights, the remnants of Team Eevui and Team Fossil, and the other miscellaneous Pokemon looked on in amazement – the wanderer, Cenric, and the Abyssal Raider, Vizeli, were mother and son?!

But this wasn't exactly the happiest of your typical long-lost-mother-and-son reunions. When the shock finally passed, Vizeli looked completely indifferent, and Cenric looked absolutely furious. "You!" he raged, pointing an accusing finger at the Floatzel.

His only reply was a casual nod as Vizeli drew herself up haughtily and stared down her snout at him. Lady Sapphire watched them on the sidelines, very intrigued. She could recognize a grudge when she saw it, and it piqued her curiosity – someone else hated Vizeli as much as she did? _Interesting._

"How… I just…" Cenric's anger was so intense that he was rendered momentarily speechless. Finally, he spat, "Of course you'd join these aquatic maniacs! You have so much in common! Lack of a heart, for instance!"

While Vizeli only looked amused, Lady Sapphire looked offended. "Maniacs? Lack of heart?" she protested, eyes wide and innocent while she held a tentacle to her heart in mock shock. "Don't you think you're being a bit harsh, dearie?"

From the sidelines, Fireclaw muttered, "Not harsh enough."

Cenric ignored both of them, still pointing the shaking finger of accusation at his mother. "I cannot believe you," he raged. "First you leave me to die on the Glacier of Absence, then you go ahead and join the biggest and most powerful crime syndicate on the continent?!"

Several Pokemon gasped. "She left him ta die on the freakin' _Glacier of Absence_?" Pteryx demanded. "Just who does this dang woman think she is, leavin' her own child like that?" Vizeli spared the Archen a heated glare and replied, "I only did what was necessary, darlin'. This little runt warn't strong enough to live, so I left him be. Simple as that."

If Cenric had been a Fire-type, he would have erupted. His face got redder and redder until it was glowing like the sun. It looked like he would literally explode at any moment. Hastily, Luke got in between the two – after all, the cage door looked rather flimsy when compared to the Buizel's intense rage. "Can't we all just calm down and take deep breaths?" he pleaded. "It won't pay to start a fight right now, OK Cenric?"

Vizeli nodded in approval. "Now _there's_ a smart child," she hinted with a haughty glance at the Buizel. Lady Sapphire, though, reached through the bars and picked the shocked Luke up.

"Aww, he's so _cute_!" she squealed. "It would almost be a shame to kill you, wouldn't it, you adorable little thing?" The Victini gulped and shuddered at the mad glint in the Frillish's eyes.

Thankfully, she put him down. Unthankfully, she picked up the fallen food tray and opened the cell door. Luke, Jowl, and Terra all scattered at her approach.

"She is such a pain," Sapphire muttered as she put the food back down. "Look at her – still completely dumbfounded. I wouldn't have left my child to die… I would have killed it myself. That way, no unpleasant surprises to worry about in the future, right?" She winked knowingly at Lancelot, who simply held a protective arm in front of Gaby.

The Frillish suddenly looked around at the prisoners, all unmoving and silent. "What, you're not going to eat?" she asked, gesturing at the food tray she had set down for them. "You all have to keep your strength up! El Nino's got something thrilling planned for all of you, and it would be a disappointment to have you all die right now!"

Cautiously, Terra approached the food tray. The look in her eyes told everyone that she hadn't had anything to eat in some time. But as she reached out to grab a small Pecha Berry, Sapphire blasted the ground in front of her with a Shadow Ball. The Water-and-Ghost-type giggled hysterically as the sound of the resulting explosion frightened Terra into diving behind Wyvern with a shriek. Arthur and Lancelot both eyed her with distaste.

By now, at the entrance, Cenric and Vizeli were glaring defiantly at each other, fire fizzling in their eyes. Lady Sapphire sighed wearily and began to float out of the cell. "I'd better get her out of here before someone dies in a very, very gruesome way," she hinted, throwing a murderous stare at the Floatzel, who didn't even notice.

Closing the door behind her, the Frillish wrapped a tentacle around Vizeli's arm and began to drag her away. "I can't wait to see you all later!" she sang, waving daintily. "Especially you, handsome," she added to Lancelot with a giggle and flutter of her eyelashes. In a second, the two Water-types were gone.

The atmosphere they had left behind them was tense. "Alright, she creeps me out," Jowl said abruptly, breaking the silence. Luke shuddered and replied, "Yeah, did you see the way she looked at me?" He shuddered again and hugged his little legs up to his chest.

Okami got up to pace the cell, walking in tight, urgent circles. "We need to get out of here," the Sylveon muttered to no one in particular. "The Raiders apparently have something planned for us, according to that frilly nutcase, and chances are it isn't good. We need to escape – oh, and get Cliff's Shard back," she added, glancing at the Growlithe. He had told them all earlier about his former possession of the Shard.

Wyvern and Lancelot got up as well, and each gave the others a confident smile. "Leave it to us," the Gallade said with a nod. Wyvern piled on, "Just wait, the two of us are gonna think up an escape plan. And before ya know it, we'll be outta here!"

The two Pokemon snatched a few morsels from the food tray, retreated to the back of the cell, and, for the rest of the day, talked quietly amongst themselves. The others looked on hopefully, knowing that their lives depended on them and their plan.

-.-.-.-.-.

As it turned out, Wyvern and Lancelot didn't have all that much time to plan together. Two Crawdaunt appeared that evening and took Team Knights out of their admittedly crowded old cell, transferring them to the empty one across from it. So although the two cells were close, the two schemers were effectively cut off from one another.

Lancelot decided that him and his team would come up with an escape plan while Wyvern, Okami, and Pteryx came up with a separate one. When the time finally came to escape, they would quickly explain their plans to the separate group and decide which one was better. But right now, they had yet to come up with an effective one.

Meanwhile, Cenric was also taken to a separate cell, this one much farther down the tunnel from his friends'. As he was led down the dank tunnel by the two Crawdaunt guards, he occupied himself with examining the other cells on the way.

The one beside his old cell was empty. The next one held a quartet of Doduo (eight heads in all), and the next was occupied by a Jigglypuff and a Numel. The two after that were empty, and then they passed one with a distraught-looking Pikachu cooped up inside.

Finally, they reached a bend in the tunnel. But before they would have rounded it, the Crawdaunt stopped and opened one of the empty cells right here. The other guard shoved Cenric into it before slamming the door shut again.

Their footsteps faded as they walked back down the tunnel. As soon as they were completely gone, the Buizel heard something shift at the back of the cell. He jumped to his feet, tail raised and prepared to fire off a Razor Wind if things turned ugly.

But nothing jumped out at him from the shadows – instead, a Ninetales and Absol appeared from out of the shadows. Both looked inquisitive at the new arrival, but not hostile. Cenric lowered his tail and looked curiously at the duo. Indeed, something about them seemed familiar.

Finally, the Ninetails spoke. "I can't believe it," he said. "It's Cenric! We thought we'd never see you again!" The Absol nodded and said softly, "Indeed. I thought I had seen the last of you ever since you went off in search of our daughter."

Cenric's heart leapt. He knew these two – they were his parents' best friends from the Yin-Yang Islands! "Sam? Blanca? Is it really you?" he asked incredulously, and they both nodded.

"We're very grateful to you, my friend," the Absol, Blanca, said. "When you went to search for Madeleine, just like that… you have no idea how thankful we were that the poor girl had such a good friend. Not everyone would have gone after her." She bent down to lick the Buizel's fur clean in gratitude.

Whenever Blanca did that, it always made Cenric feel good. Blanca always treated him like a mother would, and he could never really express how thankful he was for that. The Absol understood that instinctively.

But now Sam, the Ninetales, spoke up. "When you ran off after Madeleine, we thought it wasn't any big deal," he said. "She was just mad, and had ran off into the forest to cool down. But then you came back, and… you know the rest."

Cenric nodded. Sam was absolutely right – he had come back to them and reported that there wasn't any sign of her. Then the next day, he had informed Sam, Blanca, and his parents that he was going off into the world to search for her. First he had traveled all over the Yin-YangIslands, and when that ended up fruitless, he went off to the continent. That had been years ago, and he still hadn't found Madeleine.

"What happened to you?" he asked now. "How come you're here with me in the Abyssal Raiders' dungeons?" At this, Sam and Blanca exchanged glances, and both sighed wearily.

"Well, son," Sam replied at last. "We were kind of hoping you wouldn't ask. You see, after about a year, we ourselves got worried about you and how you hadn't come back with our daughter. One thing led to another, and we decided to go off in search ourselves.

"We took our boat, the _Freedom_, across the eastern and southern oceans, stopping at ports all over and asking around. Every single time, the answer we got was, "No, we haven't seen her around here," or something of that sort. Blanca and I were beginning to lose hope.

"Finally, we docked in Seaside Village and asked around as usual. Once again, no one had seen Madeleine. I was beginning to wonder whether or not she was still alive, and Blanca was losing hope as well. But we couldn't give up. We swore that we would search and search the rest of our lives if we had to.

"We left Seaside Village and sailed north. There was one town we hadn't yet checked – and you can probably guess which one. There was no other choice, and Blanca was very reluctant, but we had to. We steered the _Freedom_ on a straight course for Murk, that smuggler's cove up near the peninsula.

"But we never got there. Halfway to that dirty smear of a town, we were ambushed by the Abyssal Raiders and imprisoned here. And soon enough, we found out why."

Cenric was hanging on Sam's every word, almost desperate to hear what he had to say next. The Ninetales looked grim as he hung his head and continued, "It was Madeleine. She was being forced to work for the Abyssal Raiders, and we were hostages."

It couldn't be true. It just couldn't. "No," Cenric breathed. "No, that can't be right."

Blanca lay down beside him and nuzzled him affectionately. "I'm sorry," she said quietly, "but it is. At long last, we found our daughter – only to find out that she's part of an evil society of criminals, whether she likes it or not. It's hard to realize, I know. Even now, I have trouble believing it…"

Sam sat down on the other side of Cenric and patted his head with a sad smile. "Madeleine's a smart kid, but the Raiders are smarter. I don't know what they're using our daughter for – she isn't a Water-type, after all – but they're not going to take any chances with her. If she wanted to free us, it's impossible for her to now."

Cenric was speechless by now. The Absol he had risked his life hundreds of times for, in order to bring her back to the Yin-YangIslands, was here in this very same fortress. It was mind-blowing that she was so close, yet so far.

The Buizel began to think deeply about this turn of events. _Can we help her in some way?_ he wondered. _Can we convince her to return to our side and fight back against the Raiders, once Wyvern and Team Knights have come up with an escape plan?_

It was an idea worth thinking about, he decided.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Only just before I finished this chapter, I remembered that Sam's species wasn't spelled "Ninetails". I cannot believe I forgot that.**

**Speaking of which, Sam and Blanca belong to FinalPower as part of Madeleine's backstory.**

**And now we find out who Cenric was wandering around and searching for! None other than the honorary Abyssal Raider herself. Will Sam and Blanca find a way to free themselves and get their daughter back? And what exactly do the Raiders have planned for the prisoners?**

**Review please, and see you soon for another chapter of "Destined Explorers of Legend"!**

**Chapter Question #13: What is your favorite generation of Pokemon? Mine are Gen. 3 and Gen. 5.**


	25. Interlude 2 - Cenric's Dilemma

**Another interlude, folks – this time focusing on Cenric and his life in the past. Hopefully this clears some of your questions up.**

-.-.-.-.-.

**Ten Years Ago**

The rain poured down relentlessly, somehow managing to break through the ceiling of leaves that hid the sky from view. But the young Buizel trudged on. He trudged on without a care, barely even noticing the rain pelting his soaking-wet fur. But he indeed noticed the cold that seeped through his skin and into his bones. He shivered, but didn't let it bother him.

He trudged on.

_Why?_ he thought, and indeed that was the only word that pounded his brain, following the rhythm of his steady footsteps. _Why? Why? Why? Why? Why me?_

What had Cenric ever done to deserve such a fate? His mother – his own mother! – had gone and left him alone, on the freezing Glacier of Absence, without ever turning back. Her stated reason? Cenric shivered as he remembered her last scalding words.

"Maybe if you were stronger you would survive," she had stated flatly. "But you're not. If you were stronger, you would live. I'm doing this for your own good." And then Vizeli had left him on the slick mountain of ice, at the mercy of biting winds and merciless hail and snow.

Cenric refused, absolutely _refused_, to believe what his mother had told him. He was strong, strong enough to swim despite his young age, and knew that dying wasn't good. It was bad, and if he stayed here, he would die. He didn't know why Vizeli no longer wanted him around, but he did know that he had to get out of here.

So, he swam. He swam from the edge of the glacier and into the frigid, ice-sheathed ocean. Boarding a sturdy-looking ice floe, he rode the current south until the water got warmer. Then, when his little iceberg melted, he began to swim again.

And then he reached home. Somehow, he had made it to the Yin-Yang Islands after a full three days of drifting.

And now, he trudged on.

The little Buizel took step after painful step, feeling as if he was about to fall apart. He needed rest, and yet could not just yet. He had to find a safe place to hide and recuperate; otherwise he would die from exhaustion and cold and become some Mandibuzz's dinner.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, and when his legs began to give stabs of raw pain whenever he set a foot on the muddy ground, he reached a promising little place. It was a small, mossy tree with a perfect-sized hollow at the base, formed by the tangle of roots knotting themselves over the ground. Sighing with exhaustion and relief, Cenric slipped into the hole. He closed his eyes, allowing himself to relax for the first time in days.

Sleep wouldn't come at first. But, inevitably, it had to. Safe and warm inside of his hollow, Cenric finally drifted off into an exhausted sleep.

As he slept, he dreamt. He dreamt of more endless walking, trudging onwards through an empty grassland. There was nothing in sight except more of the dirt path he was traveling, stretching far off into the distance. And grass – lots and lots of grass.

In his dreams, he trudged on.

-.-.-.-.-.

Morning came, and Cenric had been so tired of relentless walking that he didn't want to leave his cozy hole. His eyelids fluttered open for perhaps all of four seconds before closing again, falling once more into slumber.

But outside, footsteps crunched on the fallen leaves and splashed in the mud puddles that had formed in the rain. They stopped when they reached the tree. Keen eyes picked out the end of Cenric's tail poking out from within the hollow. Sharp ears heard the echoing sound of his breathing.

Frowning, the two Pokemon clamped down gently on the tail and pulled him out. Cenric didn't even wake up as the duo silently stared down at him, curiosity and worry in their eyes.

Sam and Blanca exchanged glances, almost reading each others' minds. This Buizel was clearly in need of help – one glance was enough to see that. His fur was streaked with mud, dirt, twigs, and other assorted debris, he was completely limp from all the walking and swimming he had done, and on top of that, he looked pathetically thin. But what to do?

Again, the two read each others' minds. Blanca nodded her approval, seeing the question in her husband's eyes. They would take this poor Pokemon to their little hut in the village, and they would ask their daughter, little Madeleine, to watch over him while they went out foraging for food. He was clearly in need of nourishment, and they wanted to be able to provide said nourishment when he awoke.

_If_ he awoke.

The Ninetales and Absol took him to Purity Village, where they had made their home. It was a humble abode, with only one medium-sized room, comfortable enough for the family of three to live in. Laying him down gently on one of the straw beds, they gave their wide-eyed daughter strict instructions to watch over the unconscious Buizel until they got back.

But by the time they did get back, however, Lynn and Neith were standing in front of their door, faces saying it all. Somehow, the Swampert and Floatzel had caught wind that a helpless youngster was holed up at Sam and Blanca's, and they wanted to help. Not bothering to tell them off in such a situation – after all, both were pretty tough, and both looked genuinely worried – Sam and Blanca allowed them to help them look after the Buizel.

When Cenric woke up, it was to see five strange Pokemon staring down at him. Although he was initially frightened, he began to slowly warm up to them when they smiled and offered him food. These Pokemon _cared_ about him.

For the next week, the exhausted and injured Buizel stayed in Sam and Blanca's hut, not talking much but always thanking them for their hospitality. Madeleine was like an older sister to him the entire time, helping him when he had trouble and keeping him company when he needed it. Cenric began to think that his life was undoubtedly looking up.

Finally, there came a day when all of his wounds had healed, and Cenric was well enough to move on. But when he explained to Sam, Blanca, and Madeleine that he didn't have a home anymore, they found themselves unable to offer a solution.

Just then, Lynn and Neith spoke up. They offered to adopt him, to take him in as a son. Sam and Blanca were taken aback at this sudden proposition, but they didn't say anything. It was Cenric's choice to make whether he stayed or not.

Cenric himself was very wary about the notion of having parents. After all, hadn't he spent an entire three days floating on an iceberg because of his mother? But on the other hand, the Swampert and Floatzel couple looked so kind. Their faces weren't cold and hard, like how Vizeli always used to look at him, they were warm and had genuine smiles stretching across them.

In the end, Cenric said yes. Lynn and Neith were both thrilled.

Now he had a true home, and kind, loving parents to look after him. He had a friend and polite neighbors. Most importantly, he had Pokemon that loved him. Even thinking about it was enough to cause tears to spring to his eyes.

Cenric no longer had to trudge on.

-.-.-.-.-.

**So there's another blast to the past for you readers. Poor Cenric's gone through a lot, but it's helped him become strong in the present day. What's the expression? What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, or something like that?**

**Moving on, please review and see you soon!**


	26. Windchaser Meets Seasearcher

**And back to the main story we go, taking a quick peek at how our sinking sailors are turning out, and watching as two separate teams' destinies intertwine.**

**Meanwhile some of the villains are beginning to achieve their goals, and things are once again looking grim.**

**Just as you thought there was some hope…**

-.-.-.-.-.

Just south of Wailord Brow Bay – named as such because it was in the shape of the head of a Wailord – a lone ship sailed onwards. Indeed, it was the _Windchaser_, and it was indeed still seaworthy, thanks to the quick efforts of Miranda and Shadepelt.

After patching up the hull with awkwardly placed planks – there hadn't been time to grab the correct-sized ones, after all – the Vaporeon and Purrloin had managed to stop the ship from sinking further. Then they had joined Burner, Tortuga, and Cobalt in bailing the water out of the half-flooded hull. The _Windchaser_ had been rendered effectively dry after over two hours of tossing the water out, and now was once more in shipshape.

Now, though, as Drain and Burner steered the ship through the relatively calm waters, there was still work to be done. The hastily placed planks in the hull had to be replaced with planks more suited to the gaps torn in the bottom by the Carvanha, and there was more cleaning to be done as scorch marks and other assorted scars marred the deck of the boat. The Pokemon worked in shifts, with some working hard and some resting, and they swapped roles at regular intervals.

One of the resting Pokemon was below deck, in one of the cabins. Shadepelt was spread out on her bed, writing on a sheet of parchment with a Tranquill quill, so to speak. She felt tired as she sprawled out limply on the mattress, with the only muscles in her body working being the ones holding up her head and moving her paw as she wrote. Everything else, though, simply relaxed.

"What are you doing?" a voice suddenly asked, cutting through the otherwise complete silence. Shadepelt screamed and frantically dropped the quill, covering up the letter with her paws. But it was only Cobalt, standing at the doorway with a faintly amused expression on his face.

"I'm just writing a letter," Shadepelt replied, once she had gotten a hold of herself. "You know, to home. There are Pokemon that want to know how I'm doing back in the desert."

Cobalt smiled wryly. "The Life Stealers?" he challenged in a joking way, although it still sounded a bit like he was being serious. Shadepelt laughed nervously and folded up the letter she had been writing. "Definitely not," she said with a quick grin of her own. "My parents. Even thugs – former thugs – like me have family, you know."

The Riolu shrugged. "I guess when you put it that way…" he mused. "Anyway, I'm sorry I disturbed you." He then left without another word.

Shadepelt blew a quiet sigh out of her mouth before rapidly finishing the letter. She put down the quill on the small side-table, and then scurried out the door and back onto the deck of the _Windchaser_. She held the folded-up letter in her mouth as she quickly scanned the sky. _I could have sworn he'd be here by now…_ the Purrloin thought, trying to pick out that telltale speck of white and yellow amidst the big blue yonder.

_Aha! _she suddenly exclaimed in her mind as she saw him coming in for a landing. Shadepelt bustled over to the stern of the boat and waited, before checking around the deck to make sure that no one would notice. She was in luck – everyone was busy cleaning below deck, save for Drain and Burner.

The Pelipper flapped his wings slowly as he came in for a landing. He perched awkwardly with his flippers on the railing, balancing himself with his wings. "Shadepelt," he greeted. "How're things?"

The Purrloin hemmed and hawed, before finally saying nonchalantly, "I've been fine. How about you, Smatt?"

Smatt rolled his eyes and rustled his wings. "I've been better, believe me. Anyway, you have a letter to deliver like you said earlier?" Shadepelt nodded and held out the parchment, which he took with his giant bill and held it there.

"Remember," Shadepelt said quietly, "take that to Niwri." The Pelipper nodded in understanding, unable to talk without dropping the letter. With a single flap of his wings, he soared up into a salty thermal and was soon lost from view.

Shadepelt took a deep breath and went to grab a cleaning rag. Her shift was coming up, and she had her trustworthiness to prove.

-.-.-.-.-.

"Miranda, it's your turn to rest for a while," Cobalt said, snatching the feather duster from the Vaporeon's paw. Although initially startled at the gesture, Miranda quickly recovered and gave the Riolu a warm smile. As Cobalt took over her task of cleaning the cabin (the flooding had done a number on it), Miranda decided to go up on deck for some fresh air.

The salty sea breeze hit her pleasantly, blowing her head fins back slightly. Taking a deep breath through her nose, Miranda wondered how she should spend her rest shift. _I could go swimming, but then I'd probably end up luring more unpleasant company to the Windchaser,_ she thought grimly. _Hmm… maybe I could rest up near the stern. I've been feeling this urge to sunbathe for a while. Maybe it's a Vaporeon thing?_

Shrugging, Miranda headed up the steps to the stern of the _Windchaser_, only to be stopped by a voice. "Wait!" it called. She turned around and saw Tesla scuttling toward her.

"What is it?" asked Miranda. Tesla gestured with a foreleg up toward the Murkrow's nest. "Do you mind keeping watch for me?" she offered. "I know it's your time to rest, but I really need someone reliable to do it."

Miranda thought about for a second or two. Tesla seemed to have put emphasis on the word "reliable" – possibly referring to Shadepelt, whose motives were still in doubt – but that didn't matter. Should she do this job, even though she needed a rest from all the cleaning she had been doing? Then again, it was just keeping watch.

"OK, sure," she said with a smile. Tesla seemed relieved at this, as she was probably still nervous from the Abyssal Raiders' ambush earlier that day. "Thank you, Miranda," she clicked. "Now I can focus on fishing." The Conductula moved off, twirling an electric thread around and whistling cheerfully.

Miranda climbed into the Murkrow's nest and used the pulley system to move it up to the top of the mast. _My, you can certainly see quite a distance from up here, _Miranda thought admirably. The deck seemed far away from such a height.

Soon, the Vaporeon was starting to get a little bored. She had been staring into the empty distance for ten minutes now, and had seen nothing out of the ordinary. She yawned widely and attempted to keep her tired eyes open. Luckily, there was a bit of cloud cover that kept the bright sun at bay for a while.

But then, just as she was about to slump to the floor and take a nap, Miranda indeed saw something that caught her eye. She fumbled for the telescope lying on the floor and held it up to her eye, peering at whatever it was that seemed out of place.

She gasped as she suddenly saw what it was. It was another boat! And it seemed to be heading in the opposite direction of the _Windchaser_. That might mean that it would cross paths with their own boat – which could be a bad thing if the unknown ship was hostile.

Miranda decided to warn someone. As rapidly as she could, she worked the pulley system until the Murkrow's nest landed on the deck with a loud *thud*. She then ran up to the bow, where Drain and Burner were still steering the ship. As soon as she reached them, she blurted out, "There's a boat coming from up ahead!"

The two insects turned to her in surprise. "Really? Does it look friendly or hostile?" Drain asked. Miranda thought back to what the boat looked like and replied hesitantly, "I don't really know. Actually, I don't think it was hostile – no skull-and-crossbones flags or anything like that."

Burner shook his head. "If there was anything screaming out the boat's nature, then they wouldn't be very smart hostiles," he said. "I'll fly up and take a look." With that, the Moskeeteor lifted off, buzzed off to where Miranda had dropped the telescope, and then zoomed upwards with it in hand.

A few seconds later, he flew back down to the bow. "They aren't hostile," he confirmed, "but they are requesting to board the ship. I say we let them, but be on our guard just in case." Drain nodded and said in agreement, "That's just what I was going to advise."

He left the ship on a straight course and went to go tell the other Pokemon that they'd be having some unknown guests on board shortly. He'd tell them not to make any threatening moves, but to be wary in case the other ship was trying to ambush them.

Very soon, the other ship was in view. Burner, who hadn't moved from his position near the wheel, squinted and asked Miranda to hand him the telescope. When she did, he peered through it and suddenly gave a great whoop of laughter.

"It's the _Seasearcher_!" he cried. "There's no need for any caution, folks! Team Sand Dragons is on their way!"

At this proclamation, relief swept the tense atmosphere away. Team Sand Dragons was a Platinum-ranked rescue team, and thus of a greatly revered status. Many of the legends of the Guardians told across the continent featured Team Sand Dragons. Now everyone was excited for the ship and the Pokemon it carried to arrive.

At last, the time came for when the _Seasearcher_ was close enough to the _Windchaser_ to allow its crew to board. The ship was just as big as theirs, but it wasn't as elaborate. Instead, just by glancing at it, it looked as if it were owned by a crew of regular sailors or even pirates. But Burner was convinced that this was Team Sand Dragons' ship, pointing out the name _Seasearcher _that gleamed gold on the otherwise dingy side of the boat.

Then all of a sudden, the three Ground-and-Dragon-types landed on the deck with a crash. Everyone jumped and turned at the sight of their sudden new arrivals. The Flygon leader grinned jauntily and waved, while his Garchomp and Terralyrk comrades nodded their greetings from either side of him.

"Burner! It's been too long, my friend," the Flygon said, reaching out with a talon and shaking the end of Burner's leg. "Pleasure to see you again, Junpei," Burner replied, shaking his talon back. "You too, Eugene and Terence," he added, and the other two smiled and nodded again in response.

"Now, may I introduce our friends," Burner said, gesturing to the other Pokemon gathered off to the side. "This is Tortuga, Cobalt, Miranda, Sinestra, Amanita, and Shadepelt." They all waved with varying degrees of enthusiasm – Tortuga and Shadepelt looked nervous, Cobalt and Miranda were bolder, and Amanita and Sinestra seemed rather shy.

"Hmm, I recognize the two of you," Terence commented, pointing at the Vaporeon and larger Eevee. "You're on Team Eevui, are you not?" The two nodded and each shook his hand with a paw. Sinestra hid behind Miranda shyly.

"And you're from Team Fossil, right?" Eugene rumbled, indicating Tortuga. He gave a small smile and wave, but didn't say anything. He still seemed nervous. Eugene continued, this time looking at Cobalt and Shadepelt, "I don't recognize you, though. Who are you two squirts?"

The Purrloin simply murmured, "Shadepelt. Pleased to meet you." Tesla whispered to Junpei, "She has a rather… colorful history. I'll tell you about it later." The Flygon just blinked and shrugged indifferently.

Cobalt stepped forwards and said clearly, "My name is Cobalt. I came from Diamond Island originally, but I was forced to flee when the earthquake sank it."

Now the Sand Dragons' wide eyes were locked on the Riolu. "I… what?" Terence asked. "You've got to… you… are you serious?" Junpei stammered. Eugene opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

"It's true," Drain said solemnly. "We were on our way from the Elemental Islets to the Guardians' island in order to tell them. But then we had Darkfeathers on our tail to shake off, and then that Raider ambush…"

Junpei shook his head to clear it and forced a smile. "Well, looks like you've had a lot on your plates recently," he said, trying to remain cheerful. "Speaking of which, do you mind if we tag along with you? We've got a short little mission along the coast to complete, nothing too big. And the poor _Seasearcher_ is in need of repairs, so its sailing days are numbered until we can fix it." He ducked his head humbly, hoping that he wasn't asking too much of them.

But Burner just laughed and replied, "Of course! The three of you are always welcome on board the _Windchaser_. We can set aside some time for your mission if you so wish." At this, Junpei looked delighted. He did a little hop and clapped his talons together. "Awesome!" he enthused. "Thanks, Burner old chum. We definitely owe you one."

Miranda stepped forward and asked curiously, "What kind of mission are you on?" Terence slithered a little closer to her and replied, "Oh, it's nothing that special. We need to pick up the family of Lancelot of Team Knights. Apparently King Stellar wants them on the island."

The three of Team Bloodsucker exchanged worried glances, which didn't go unnoticed by the Sand Dragons. "What is it?" Eugene demanded. "Is there something wrong?" Junpei settled him down with a wave of his tail before looking at the insect trio questioningly.

Tesla flexed her mandibles for a while before she found what she wanted to say. "Well… Gaby was with us, originally," she started, tentatively. "We started off on our journey to the Guardians' island with five others – Gaby, Pteryx of Team Fossil, Okami of Team Eevui, a Victini named Luke, and another Eevee named Jowl. That Abyssal Raiders attack that Drain mentioned earlier… well, they took all five of them as prisoners and vanished."

Team Sand Dragons was speechless for a moment. Then Junpei spoke up in a strangled voice. "Well, this is… unexpected," he said. "Not to mention very unpleasant. What'll we do about this? It's not like we have an army of Guardians with us so we can attack the Abyssal Raiders' trench and take them back!"

Terence put a calming hand on his leader's shoulder. "No, we don't have that," he agreed, "which is why we're going to get one. Let's head to Seaside Village and get Adrianna, then we can set sail for the Guardians' island. The village isn't far from where we are now, we can surely make it."

Junpei nodded in agreement after a moment. Burner then said commandingly, "Alright, we'll need everyone's help if we are to make it to Seaside Village and then the island of the Guardians as quick as we can! You all must work together alongside our new passengers if we are to succeed in our mission, head back home, and alert King Stellar as to our poor friends' whereabouts. Understand?"

All of the Pokemon hopped to attention and cried, "Yes, sir!" as one. "Excellent!" Junpei cheered. "Now let's hop to it. Chop-chop!"

Soon, everyone was back to being hard at work. Team Sand Dragons, Miranda, and Cobalt all helped to pull in the _Seasearcher_ and then lash it tightly to the stern of the _Windchaser_, allowing it to trail behind. Then four of those five Pokemon hopped aboard to start repairing the boat, while Junpei used Sandstorm on the sails of the _Windchaser_, propelling it forward.

With their goals ringing clear in their minds, all of the Pokemon worked their hardest in order to help reach them. Lives depended on it.

-.-.-.-.-.

Night had fallen over the western ocean. The moon shone high in the sky, its glowing white light strong enough to pierce the surface of the waves. However, the deeper you went, the darker it, naturally, became.

The lonely coral reef to the north of the Abyssal Raiders' trench was indeed rather dim in terms of light, but still shallow enough for some of the moonlight to illuminate it. The bright colors of the coral during the day were muted at night, but indeed the light from the moon helped bring their colors out somewhat. Glowing microorganisms floated here and there, giving the coral reef a calming, almost alien feel to it.

Of course, to the pair of Frillish that swam hand-in-hand through the coral, they simply found what land-dwellers would find strange and unnerving very romantic and almost mystical.

"This always takes my breath away," Neptune murmured. "No matter how many times we come here, it's always like the first time for me." The other smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder. "I see what you mean," Sapphire replied. "I never really get used to it either. But that's alright… sometimes never getting used to something is a good thing."

The blue Frillish nodded. He pecked her on the cheek and whispered, "Like how I can never get used to seeing your beautiful face first thing every morning?" Sapphire giggled hysterically and gave him a playful shove. "Stop that," she said, not meaning either of those words. She wrapped her tentacles around his neck and nuzzled him lovingly. Neptune hugged her back and pushed his forehead up against hers.

They stayed like that for a while, simply enjoying the embrace they shared. "I love you so much," Neptune breathed without pulling his head away. Sapphire pulled herself a little closer, but didn't reply. Instead, she kissed him passionately, putting all of her feelings into it. _Sometimes, words aren't needed,_Neptune thought blissfully as he kissed her back.

The couple separated at last after a full minute of this happiness. "Come on now," Sapphire sighed regretfully, "we've had our fun. They'll be here any second and…" Her words were suddenly cut off by the sound of someone approaching. The two of them turned around and came face-to-face with the ones they were to be meeting with.

None other than Khan and Pearl, Sapphire's parents and the monarchs of the faraway Jellicent Kingdom.

"How's my little girl?" Pearl asked in a rich, deep voice. Sapphire rushed to hug her mother, who returned her greeting wholeheartedly. "I'm so happy to see you again, Mum," she said happily, floating over to her father to hug him as well.

"Jolly good to see you're doing well, my dear Sapphire," Khan boomed, patting his daughter on the head fondly. "And how are you, Neptune old bean?" the Jellicent asked with equal kindness. Neptune only hung back shyly and averted his eyes. "Very well, sir," he said quietly.

Khan sighed dramatically with a grin and draped a tentacle around his son-in-law. "You've got to think bold, my boy!" he chastised lightly. "After all, you're part of our family now," Pearl agreed, bobbing her head with authority. Neptune only shrugged, still looking uncomfortable. But he quickly relaxed when Sapphire reached over and entwined her tentacle with his, smiling encouragingly.

The sight of the couple made Pearl tear up. "Our little Sapphire's all grown up," she sniffed, dabbing at her eyes with a hankie. The pink Frillish grinned and said teasingly, "Oh, Mum. You say that like it's a bad thing!"

Khan as well looked a little bit emotional. "I say, it is a tad heartwarming to see you and your beloved here together," he said, trying his best to hold back his own tears. But he got a hold on himself quickly and drew himself up in a dignified manner.

"We learned so much at El Nino's fortress, Papa," Sapphire said happily, changing the subject. "Just like you asked! There's enough in here to really make you and Mum proud." She reached inside of her lacy shawl and pulled out a small box. The top was clear, allowing the piece of parchment inside to be seen.

Pearl beamed at her and Neptune as she took the box. "That's my smart girl," she said. "Thanks to you and Neptune" – she gave the blue Frillish a nod, to which he blushed and smiled faintly – "we'll be able to make our move on the Abyssal Raiders very soon."

The Jellicent queen then sniffed and a look of distaste twisted her face. "Those arrogant Raiders, thinking the oceans belong to them," she muttered. Sapphire grinned again, this time with malicious intent. "Yes, but they won't be thinking when we're done with them," she replied, the madness in her eyes flickering spastically.

"That's the spirit, my dear Sapphire," Khan said proudly. "You're right, the forces of the Jellicent Kingdom will soon have them in a right fix!" His wife added, "You two just remain with the Raiders for now and pretend this never happened. We'll tell you what to do next in due time."

Neptune gave his first words to the monarchs as he responded, "We'll make you proud. I promise."

Khan and Pearl both laughed. "You already have, dear," the pink Jellicent told him, giving him a lasting, motherly hug. When she let go of Neptune at last, she turned to depart. "Stay out of trouble, you two," she cautioned. "It's been so nice seeing you again."

Sapphire and Neptune both waved goodbye. Khan gave them his own jaunty wave in response as he turned to leave as well. "Farewell to you, children! Tally ho!" he cried, then disappeared along with Pearl into the deep blue of the nighttime ocean.

Things were quiet for a little while after they had left. Finally, Neptune asked, "Should we be heading back?" and gestured in the direction of the Abyssal Raiders' trench.

But Sapphire shook her head and subtly slipped her arms around him. "I'm not finished with you yet, dearest," she murmured, pressing her cheek against his. "I was hoping you'd say that, to be honest," Neptune replied with a grin, leaning in to press his lips against hers.

It wasn't until midnight when they decided to leave the reef. When they did, they were drifting hand-in-hand once more.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Khan, Pearl, and Smatt all belong to me. I'm not sure if that Pelipper will play any major roles in this story or not, though. Oh well, one step at a time and all that.**

**Here's a bit of trivia – Pearl is actually the Jellicent that belongs to my OC, Volan Gurei. Again, I'm not sure of this, but I might decide to do another Pokemon fanfic featuring Volan and his team.**

**See you soon for Chapter 24! Wow, this fanfic is coming along nicely.**

**Smatt: "Hey, review please, yeah? Also, check out the Chapter Question and send me a letter!"**

**Chapter Question #14: It's time to send Smatt a letter! Deliver a question to the Pelipper mailman and he'll deliver it to its rightful owner. So, what do you want to ask, and to what character? I'll answer all questions in the next few chapters!**

**Don't worry, Smatt will be available for a while, so there's plenty of time to send some mail his way!**


	27. The Bughaven Kingdom

**More new characters and a bit more plot! Isn't this exciting?**

**Earlier today, Smatt delivered the letters you sent to the various characters, and here are the replies I got…**

**From TriMapleNut****:**

**"To Alphonse,  
Do you have any current love interests and is there any possibility that you might 'like' like a certain blue serpent friend of yours?"**

**Alphonse****: Ha, you wish. I can't even hug her without stinging her. Get back to me when I meet a girl who's part Poison-type.**

**Smatt's waiting for more letters, so send them in by the truckload. His big beak can hold quite a few, you know.**

**FrozenArcher: I am a total idiot – I cannot believe I didn't catch that. I can't believe I even WROTE that! Anyway, thanks so much for pointing that out, and it's fixed now.**

-.-.-.-.-.

Deep in the Bughaven Forest, there was a town. And it was in this town where the Insect Faction thrived. Predominantly made up of Bug-types, it was a thriving society, enjoying direct relations with the Flame Faction, Water Faction, and Desert Faction. It was also ruled over by a benevolent queen, a Venomoth named Luna, who was loved by all of her many-legged subjects.

Arthropod Town was made up of stone, surprisingly, but there was an immense amount of plant life growing amongst the rocks. Weeds and vines choked the pavement and strangled the buildings, and gardens were plentiful in both number and size. Life was carefree here, where everyone was friendly and helpful, and where one could simply pluck an Apple from a tree and leave a few P in its place.

There was no fighting. There was absolute peace.

Until today.

At the most popular bar in Arthropod Town, the Apple Seed, a young Venonat slumped over her cup of Oran Berry juice. In front of her sat a concerned-looking Yanmega and Eevee, two of the three members of the famed Team Exo. To any foreigner, they would look almost ordinary, although the Eevee might have drawn a couple of stares (for two reasons).

The Venonat was none other than Princess Lavender, the recently-deceased Queen Luna's only daughter. The only thing was, because of the lack of royal garments that usually adorned her, only the two Pokemon in front of her knew her true identity – she was currently going by the name of Lola in order to "hide from those bad Bug-types". Everyone else in the bar thought she was simply a plain-looking, cute little child who resembled their beloved princess greatly. Someone on the opposite end of the bar took a glance at her and joked that "Lola" was Princess Lavender's long-lost sister.

The Yanmega was Cheli, short for Chelicerae. He had three working limbs, and one wooden prosthetic in place of his front right leg. This Ogre Darner Pokemon was revered as a member of Team Exo, a Platinum-ranked rescue team that served the mysterious King of the Guardians. Him and his two teammates were a popular sight in the Apple Seed, enjoying Berry juice and sharing tales of their many adventures to the citizens that happened to be there. Cheli himself was a pretty jolly Bug-type, although he did wizen up in a serious situation.

Finally, the Eevee was Tara. A pure Normal-type in a town full of insects was an unusual sight, and that was one of the reasons the locals kept staring at her. The other reason was that, even by Bug-type standards, she was extremely pretty. Right now, though, her face was contorted with a combination of pity and worry as she observed the distraught princess. She was on Team Exo due to a past show of bravery that had deeply moved Team Exo's leader – an intimidating fellow named Goliath.

But right now, the two Exos did their best to calm Lavender down as she wept a stream of tears from her big, round, red eyes. Tara switched her chair to the one beside the poor Venonat and gently stroked her purple fur. "There, there, dear," she soothed. "Everything will be just fine. You're with friends now."

Cheli nodded and adjusted his grip on his perch – indeed, the chairs were equipped with perches for Bug-and-Flying-types instead of backs. "There's no need to worry," he piled on. "Whatever it was that happened to you, you can tell us about it. We won't tell another soul if necessary."

Lavender hiccupped and took a sip of her juice. "Really?" she asked tentatively. Tara nodded and continued running a paw through her fur. "Of course," the Eevee said earnestly. "I for one believe it's better if you talk about what's bothering you instead of cooping it up inside of you."

Her comrade took a swig of his apple cider and gulped loudly. The Yanmega then asked quietly, "It has something to do with your mother's death, doesn't it?" Tara shot him a warning look, and he replied with an apologetic one. But Lavender was nodding in response to his question. "Yes it does," she replied faintly, sniffling a little.

Tara handed the Venonat a napkin, and she blew her nose on it. "Start at the beginning," Cheli encouraged. "Tell us what happened. How did your mother die? Maybe we'll be able to do something about it."

Lavender sniffled again and took another sip of her juice. "Well, OK," she said. "It started last night…"

-.-.-.-.-.

**Six Hours Ago**

Lavender woke up with a bad feeling. It was almost like unease, and she figured that it was what had awoken her. The little Venonat wondered what it was that was causing the feeling, and decided to find out.

She sat up in her bed and tried to remain completely still. Lavender glanced around her room and listened for anything out of the ordinary. All she heard was the sound of the wind rustling the curtains that obscured her view of the window.

_Hmm, maybe whatever it is that's giving me this feeling is outside,_ Lavender thought, and hopped out of her bed. She scuttled over to the window and brushed past the curtains, emerging on the balcony outside. The Venonat took a deep breath of the crisp night air as she looked out at the magnificent view. It seemed almost as if she could see the entire forest from this height.

But she quickly got her mind back on the task at hand. Lavender looked down, seeing only the empty castle pathways and outdoor gardens that she always did. The only movement was that of the occasional Surskit guard sliding around on their regular patrols. There was nothing out of the ordinary.

Or was there? Lavender's eyes, naturally adapted for seeing at night, picked out a Surskit guard moving in the opposite direction. That was odd – the guards never strayed from their nightly routine, which she had almost memorized from her years in the castle. What was this guard doing?

Lavender wanted to find out. Due to the silence, all she could hear was her soft footsteps as she scuttled silently out of her room and down the hall. She knew she wasn't allowed to be up at this hour, so she'd have to be careful not to be caught.

She knew the castle like the back of her hand, so it wasn't long before she located the stray guard. The Surskit was fast, and seemed to be moving with some destination in mind. But Lavender was fast as well, and easily kept up with him as he scurried down the various pathways. She made sure that she stayed hidden, jumping behind rose bushes, decorated vases, and various other palace ornaments whenever she was able.

The Surskit guard finally skidded into the castle gardens – although it could have been considered more of a small forest. Lavender always loved coming here, but she was used to seeing it during the day. The perpetual darkness shrouding the flowers and trees made it look kind of unnerving to her.

The Venonat came out of her thoughts just in time. The guard was glancing around at the vicinity, and she would have been spotted for sure if she hadn't dove behind a bush at the last minute. Her long antennae blended in perfectly with the strange, stringy flowers.

Taking one last look around, the Surskit rapidly dashed deeper into the garden. Diving out from her hiding place, Lavender followed him until they had both reached the center of the great garden. Upon seeing what was waiting, she let out a small, quiet squeak of shock and dove into another flower bush. This time, it was her eyes that peeked out from the leaves, disguised as Tamato Berries.

There were a total of what Lavender estimated to be nine or ten Surskit guards, and at the head of them all was a Masquerain. The Bug-and-Poison-type indeed knew the Masquerain, recognizing her as Rosaline, the leader of all the Surskit guards. But why had she gathered only a few of her Surskit, and why had she gathered them here of all places, in the dead of night?

Rosaline was speaking quietly to the guards, and they would occasionally nod as if in understanding. Lavender strained to hear, but she couldn't catch even a word. I'll have to get closer, she realized, and shuddered nervously, making the bush rustle. She hastily stilled herself, only to find that none of the gathered Bug-types had heard. Breathing a sigh of relief, she stealthily slipped to a bush nearer to the group.

Lavender kept creeping closer, freezing the instant she thought she had been caught. But she wasn't detected at all as she slid to the next shrub, and then to the one beside that. Eventually, she had come close enough to hear what Rosaline was saying.

Unfortunately, she seemed to be wrapping up her speech. "…and zis kingdom will belong to ze Abyssal Raiders by dawn," she finished. "Go now, and make sure zere is not a royal alive when ze sun rises." In unison, the squad of Surskit saluted and scattered. Rosaline drifted off after a moment at a more leisurely pace.

The young Venonat couldn't believe what she had just heard. _Who are the Abyssal Raiders?_ she asked herself. _Are Rosaline and the guards going to let them take over the Bughaven Kingdom? And what did she mean by 'not a royal alive'?_

Then the horrid truth wound its way into her head. The Surskit were going to kill her family! Then the Kingdom would need a new ruler, and that would be when these Abyssal Raiders would swoop down and take it!

Lavender quickly glanced at the sky – the part above the horizon seemed to be lightening a bit. Dawn was coming soon. The Venonat thought fast and came up with a plan. If she went into town now and found a rescue team, they could handle the Surskit and save the Bughaven Kingdom!

Not hesitating even a moment, the little princess dashed off as quickly as she dared, hoping that her family would be safe by the time she got back.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Present**

Lavender looked out the window and sniffled at the sight of the morning sun peeking over the castle – her home – in the distance. Tara looked appalled and Cheli looked very grim at the conclusion of her story.

They all knew it was too late to do anything now, Lavender most of all. By the time she had ran into Arthropod Town, the sun was already rising and the locals were starting to go about their day.

"I think that Masquerain's working for the Abyssal Raiders," Cheli said, slamming a leg down on the table and rattling their cups. "I've never liked her – I like her even less now. And she's going to be filling in for Queen Luna, too!"

The Venonat jumped so badly, she was lifted completely off of her chair. "What?!" she asked, eyes wide and frightened. The Yanmega wordlessly pulled out a slip of paper from his treasure bag and held it in front of her. It was an announcement poster that detailed how Rosaline would be temporarily filling in for the queen until a new ruler could be determined.

Tara shook herself out of her shock and tried to calm Lavender down by stroking her fur again. "It's alright, dear," she said soothingly. "Things will get better. We'll think of something." But Lavender simply stared in shock at the poster until Cheli put it away. Her fluffy body was shaking in fear.

Suddenly, a loud voice pierced the otherwise peaceful atmosphere of the Apple Seed. All of the Pokemon looked up from their conversations and drinks in surprise. "Leave it to TEAM EXO!" the voice boomed. "The GUARDIANS will have something to SAY about this!"

Lavender's ears were ringing, and she clamped her tiny hands over them in an effort to get them to stop. "Wh-who was that?" she asked, a bit more freaked out than she was before. "G-Goliath," Tara stammered, indignant. "You're listening in on our conversations again!"

The unknown voice came from a different part of the tavern, and it belted out its next statement so hard that it echoed several times. "We're a TEAM! It's not LISTENING IN when we're SUPPOSED to WORK TOGETHER, especially when we're WORKING on such DREADFUL NEWS!"

Cheli slammed his leg on the table again. "Goliath!" he scolded. "Stop scaring the prin – ahem, the little girl here!"

The voice calmed down a tiny bit, and Tara flinched when it next came from right beside her. "You're right, you're right," it said apologetically. "SORRY, Lav – ahem, 'Lola'. I HAVE to speak up, or else NO ONE will HEAR me!"

No longer frightened, Lavender was instead befuddled. "Where are you?" she asked, looking around the room. "Are you a Ghost-type, and floating around here invisibly?"

There was a loud, booming laugh. "HA! I think NOT! Team Exo only accepts BUG-TYPES – well, until TARA came along, that is." The voice became flustered as it added, "My APOLOGIES, Tara."

Said Eevee rolled her eyes. "Can you at least come on out so L – 'Lola' can see you?" she asked exasperatedly, and Lavender regained her initial fear. _What if he's some really scary Bug-type?_ she worried, starting to shake a little. _Like a Pinsir or a Scolipede?_

And just then, Goliath himself fluttered down in front of her and rested on the table, and Lavender's already big eyes grew wide.

Goliath – the Pokemon with the big, scary voice – was absolutely _miniscule_.

The tiny Bug-and-Flying type was only half an inch tall, if that. He had a small, tube-like mouth and (relatively) large wings. His body was spherical, and right next to the saltshaker, his size was almost – okay, definitely – laughable.

"Th-this is your leader?" Lavender sputtered, her mandibles tweaking upwards in a smile. Goliath became flustered at the amused tone of her voice and protested, "HEY! I'm actually quite BIG for a MIDJET! And I'm faster than ANY Pokemon ALIVE! I'd win a RACE against a carriage pulled by LATIOS!"

Not convinced, Lavender giggled at the small insect's big talk. The Midjet huffed and slowly rose off of the table, fluttering his wings with a barely audible buzz. Just then, a cup of cider appeared clutched in his little legs – the same one that the Heracross bartender had just been handing out to a now-bewildered Sewaddle.

"SEE?" Goliath smirked to the astonished Lavender. "I can FLY at the SPEED of LIGHT!" In less than a millisecond, the cup was back in the Heracross' hand.

Lavender nodded numbly. "OK, I believe you," she said sheepishly. "But what are we going to do about Rosaline? Or the Kingdom? O-or my M-Mum?" She started to cry again at the memory of her dear mother.

Goliath buzzed over onto her hand and patted it. The Venonat barely felt it, but it made her smile nonetheless. "There, there," the Midjet said, toning down the volume a bit. "None of THAT, now. We're going to take you to see the GUARDIANS. They'll fix up this MESS, no doubt about it."

The little princess sniffled and blew her nose on a napkin. "Goliath…" she began timidly, "who are the Abyssal Raiders?" She was still thinking about what Rosaline had said last night.

"It's no SURPRISE you haven't HEARD of them," Goliath mused. "They're a ruthless gang of CRIMINALS from the western OCEAN. The stories I've heard…" His tiny body shuddered in disgust.

"Speaking of hearing," Tara said snidely, "we're not going to be doing much of that if you keep up your yelling." Her leader ignored that and gestured to the door of the Apple Seed. "Come on, LITTLE one. We're heading to VULCANA CITY," he said, and Lavender hopped off of her chair and followed him out the door. Tara and Cheli exchanged glances, then went outside as well.

The weather was nice today, and a nice breeze rustled the leaves of the thousands and thousands of vines, trees, bushes, flowers, and shrubs that grew all over. Lavender couldn't help but admire the beauty of Arthropod Town, so much less sophisticated than the castle and yet so enjoyable.

"The city GATES are THIS way," Goliath yelled over his shoulder, zipping a ways down the street to the left and then zipping back to wait for his much slower comrades.

But when they rounded the bend in the road, they bumped right into a trio of Surskit guards. Lavender squeaked and hid behind Cheli. Goliath swore inaudibly, deciding not to use his loud voice this time.

No words were exchanged as one of the guards signaled for the other two to surround them. Three more almost instantly appeared from behind, but one dashed off toward the castle, supposedly for reinforcements. At top speed, the Surskit would get there in no time.

"I don't THINK SO!" roared Goliath to the remaining five guards, back to his big voice. "TAKE DOWN!"

Before Lavender could even blink – or indeed before the incoming breeze could even ruffle a single hair on her body – the five guards were on the ground groaning, and it was as if Goliath had never even moved. "LET'S GO!" he yelled, directing them down the path and toward the gates.

The young Venonat huffed and puffed as she skittered down the path after Team Exo. All of a sudden, she heard what sounded like a dozen Surskit on their tail, and she gulped. _How in Arceus' name will we get out of this one?_ she asked herself, and decided that she didn't want to know.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Everyone introduced in this chapter belongs to me. You can check out Goliath the 'giant' Midjet on my Deviantart account.**

**Why so many Eevee? Well, I'm planning on having them all evolve – which, by the way, will probably be the only evolutions in this entire fanfic. I think the other Pokemon are perfect the way they are, right?**

**As in the last chapter, Smatt the Pelipper is still hanging around. You can write a letter to any of this story's characters and ask them a question, and Smatt will deliver it!**

**Smatt: "Give me them letters! I've got a job to do, you know!"**

**Goliath: "REVIEW please! AND STOP YOUR LAUGHING!"**

**Chapter Question #15: I mentioned briefly in the last chapter that I might do a fanfic starring my Pokemon OC, Volan, and his team. Should I?**


	28. Triumph of the Abyssal Raiders

**Yet another chapter devoted to the villains. And in this one, we get to see more of the Life Stealers, as well as our favorite mailman Smatt!**

**Crap, did I spoil too much? Oh well, read on!**

**From FinalPower****:**

**"To Vizeli,**

**Do you sometime wonder if you and Cenric could ever live together like a Mother and Son should?"**

**Vizeli****: *snorts and walks away***

**"To Cenric,**

**Do you think you could forgive your Mother if she asked and proved that she's sorry for what she did?"**

**Cenric****: I don't know… part of me would be happy, but most of me would see her as the one who abandoned me. I don't think I'd want to take my chances with her in case it happened again…**

-.-.-.-.-.

The mood in the Abyssal Raiders' dungeons was as gloomy as ever. Jowl, Terra, and Cliff were playing with a bunch of pebbles that they had found nearby. Gaby and Luke were both stony-faced as they slumped against the wall, having nothing better to do than think. Wyvern and Pteryx hadn't stopped muttering since they had made the decision to work on their escape plan.

The Victini glanced over at Gaby. She seemed very quiet for some reason – and he knew it went beyond her just being Gaby and bottling up her feelings. There was some atmosphere hanging heavily around her, suggesting that there was a good reason that she seemed so reclusive.

"Hey…" he murmured, shuffling closer to her and touching her arm softly. "Is something wrong? You've been so… I don't know, silent ever since we got here. Are you going to be okay?"

Gaby looked up, averting her attention from the floor in front of her, and gave him a slight smile. "Thanks for your concern," she said quietly, reaching out to take his hand in hers. If she noticed the faint blush that blossomed on his face, she chose not to say anything.

"The truth is," the Kirlia went on, "I… realized something not too long ago." Luke tilted his head to the side in confusion, silently prompting her to go on. She continued, "My Shard… it speaks to me sometimes. I think it's because I found it, and it seems to trust me enough to let me hear its voice."

Noting Luke's half-amazed and half-skeptical look, she shook her head. "It sounds crazy, I know, but it's just a theory I have," she explained. "All I know is that it can speak to me. And not too long ago, just before we came here, it spoke again. I heard it say… It said that the Darkfeathers have it. They've found and stolen it from the cave I left it in."

Luke brought his hands up to his mouth in shock. "That's awful," he gasped. "What'll we do to get it back? Now two Shards are in the hands of evil Pokemon!"

His voice had risen by the time he had finished his last sentence, and it echoed slightly in the cave. Gaby held a hand to his mouth in order to quiet him down, and he fell still again. "You must not share this with anyone," she warned. "I need to tell the Guardians what has happened so that they can take my Shard back from the Darkfeathers. Is that clear?"

Luke nodded solemnly, and Gaby broke into a relieved smile. "I'm so glad I can count on you," she murmured to him, wrapping her arm around him comfortingly. The Victini blushed, smiled faintly, and said nothing.

-.-.-.-.-.

The trade caravan trundled on down the desert path, driven by two Pokemon – a Charizard and a Scyther. They were indeed Team Blazers, the Desert Faction rescue team. Right now, they were heading for the Bughaven Forest, where whatever goods could be found in the desert would be transported to Arthropod City to be exchanged for forest goods to be taken back to the Dunedust Desert.

Madeleine wondered if she should even be here. After all, if all was proceeding smoothly, then her ally Rosaline was already in control of the Bughaven Kingdom, and the caravan would simply be taken into her custody if allowed to reach it. But she reminded herself that this was not only an opportunity to weaken the two Factions as well, but the Life Stealers as well.

Her Houndoom companion signaled to her from the boulder he was stationed behind. The Absol signaled back, and he nodded. Darkclaw and his Houndour were on good relations with the Life Stealers, and thus carried out many tasks for them. In this case, he had been ordered by the Stealers' leader to help Madeleine ambush the caravan and take the goods for themselves.

Of course, Darkclaw had no idea that Madeleine was actually working with the Abyssal Raiders. As soon as Team Blazers had been knocked out and the goods secured, Vizeli would jump out with her Whiscash contingent and take down Darkclaw and his Houndour. Madeleine felt a pang of guilt for willingly betraying her past allies.

_This is for my parents,_ she reminded herself, and the guilt faded.

The caravan was drawing closer to the boulder quarry they had hidden themselves within. Madeleine gave the crucial signal, and Darkclaw nodded in understanding. His Houndour spread out until they were all behind different rocks.

Finally, Team Blazers and their caravan came trundling past. Madeleine gave a single nod to the Houndoom.

Suddenly, much to the shock of Jules and Razor of Team Blazers, Houndour erupted from behind the boulders they passed, barking at the top of their lungs and giving chase. "It's the Life Stealers!" Jules roared, lashing the reins he held. The Ponyta drawing the cart whinnied and sped up to a gallop.

"I'll steer the caravan!" called Razor, taking the reins for herself. "You hold them off!" The Charizard nodded, and with a flap of his powerful wings, he was swooping low over the Houndour.

"Smokescreen!" he yelled, belching out a massive billowing cloud of black smoke. The curtain rapidly spread across the desert, blanketing the Houndour in darkness. But they were used to seeing in such conditions, and thus were undaunted by the obscuring smoke.

Jules was prepared for this, and thus he came prepared with a backup plan. "Air Slash!" he roared, throwing multiple blades of air from his claws. As soon as the Houndour leapt out from the smoke and were able to see again, they immediately encountered the incoming blades. Their barks and growls turned to yelps and whimpers as the blades smashed into them, throwing several to the ground with their blood leaking onto the sand.

Half of the Houndour still remained, though, and kept hot on the caravan's heels. Razor took a glance back and saw them still going strong. "Jules!" she shouted back. "I know, I know!" he replied. "I'm thinking of something!"

Just then, Jules got a genius idea. "Flamethrower!" he shouted, spraying red-hot flames at the ground just in front of the Houndour, and kept going even while flying backwards. In moments, the entire stretch of sand in front of the Fire-and-Dark-types had turned to glass.

The Houndour all slipped on the sudden change of terrain, falling on their faces as they struggled to adjust. Instantly, Jules threw more Air Slashes down, felling even more of the Houndour. One by one, the number of Life Stealers chasing down the caravan began to dwindle.

But that was when Darkclaw made his move, leaping out from behind the rocks and firing a massive Dark Pulse at the caravan. It smashed into the wooden vehicle and shattered it, sending wood and supplies flying all over. The Ponyta gave a startled whinny and hit the ground, out cold. Razor tumbled to the ground and immediately stood up, ready for battle.

However, a surprise Water Gun slammed into her back and knocked the Scyther out. Fifteen Whiscash burrowed out from under the sand and gurgled menacingly. Darkclaw stopped dead at the sight of them. "How is it possible?" he mused, part confused and part terrified. "The Abyssal Raiders? Here in the Dunedust Desert?"

A Floatzel dug her way up out of the sand as well and spat some out. "Ugh, I hate the desert," she grumbled, then turned to look at the Houndoom smugly. "Sorry 'bout that, darlin'. Just doing my job."

Darkclaw scowled and took a threatening step forward. Although he technically wasn't with the Life Stealers, he knew that this Raider knew that she was going against them anyway by attacking him. What was going on? Oh well, it didn't matter – Abyssal Raider or no Abyssal Raider, she'd pay for that surprise attack.

But before he could attack, someone stepped between the Floatzel and Houndoom. He blinked, sure that he was seeing things. It was Madeleine. "I'm sorry, Darkclaw," she said emotionlessly. "But I have to do this."

Her head blade glowed a sickly purple, and the last thing Darkclaw heard was his own scream.

-.-.-.-.-.

The Absol turned to Vizeli and nodded a greeting. "Right on time," she commented, still without emotion. Vizeli shrugged and rolled her eyes. "Like I could ever disobey a direct order from El Nino," she huffed. "Now, why don't we get these here goods back to the fortress. I've had enough of this blasted desert."

Madeleine, instead of going along with it, offered an alternative suggestion. "Why don't we just take it to the Bughaven Kingdom?" she asked. "Then Rosaline can send it to El Nino much more quickly then we can."

Vizeli rolled her eyes again. "Whatever, darlin'. Let's just leave these here Pokemon to rot in the sun and leave here quick. All this sun's bad for my fur."

After gathering up the supplies – there weren't many, and enough for the two of them to lash to their backs and carry – the two Abyssal Raiders began the long trek south to the Bughaven Forest, where their Masquerain ally awaited them.

-.-.-.-.-.

Niwri stamped his foot on the ground angrily as he heard the Houndour's report. Only a few hours had passed since he had sent Madeleine, Darkclaw, and the Houndour pack after the trade caravan. Thanks to the information El Nino had provided him with, he now knew the routes that the traders took to cross the Dunedust Desert, and thus he had been able to intercept this first one.

However, this sole surviving Houndour had reported to him that the carriage had been lost. It appeared to the Houndour that some unknown force had defeated Team Blazers and took the goods for itself. But who or what had it been? Niwri was very frustrated.

The Krookodile leader of the Life Stealers looked up at the ceiling of his underground lair. Here beneath the sands, it was very cool and comfortable during the heat of the day, and, thanks to the sun-absorbing sand that rested above, warm at night. It was the perfect hideout for his Life Stealers.

But one mission after the other had failed these days. First he had enlisted Rudy to help the murderer Clawface get a Shard, with the intention of swiping it for himself once it was found – but that had gone wrong, according to Rudy, who had just arrived only a day ago. And now, the plan to steal the trade goods from the Desert Faction to the Insect Faction had failed as well.

"Go," Niwri finally said to the Houndour. "I need to think." The dog-like Pokemon left, leaving him in peace. The Krookodile sat down on his huge chair, which had been carved out of the stone wall of his chamber. He sighed miserably and held his head in his hands. Sometimes being the ruler of a gang of criminals wasn't all it was cracked up to be.

There was a sudden flutter outside the door, and then a brisk knock. "Come in," called Niwri miserably, but he brightened when he saw who his guest was. It was none other than the Pelipper mailman, Smatt.

"Got your letter, Niwri sir," Smatt said with a flourish, holding out the letter in his wing. The Ground-and-Dark type smiled and took the letter in his claw. "Thank you, Smatt," he replied with a toothy grin. "Return and tell her that I expect another letter soon."

Smatt saluted and waddled out the door, politely closing it behind him. Niwri drew a satisfied breath and opened the letter. It read:

"_Master Niwri,_

_Things are going well. The crew of the Windchaser has accepted me as an honorary member, and they're keeping me busy with cleaning and such. However, I think that I haven't yet earned their trust yet. I hope to do so before we reach the Guardians' secret isle. I'll keep you informed through Smatt._

_Hope you are well,_

_Shadepelt_"

Niwri's grin grew wider. Shadepelt was indeed doing fine with her assignment. At least one of his plans was proceeding smoothly.

The Krookodile stomped over to the door and opened it. Two Bisharp were guarding it dutifully. Niwri poked his snout over the threshold and twisted his head to face one of the guards. "'Scuse me," he rumbled. "Ya mind goin' to fetch Rudy and Sylvester? I have need of 'em." With a nod, the Bisharp marched off to find his two underlings.

Sooner than expected, the Krokorok and Liepard were standing in the doorway in front of Niwri. "Hey, Pop!" Rudy greeted. "Master Niwri," Sylvester said formally. The Krookodile gestured for them to come in.

When they did, he cleared his throat and started to speak. "I've got an assignment for the two of ya," Niwri said, coughing a little. "I need you two to leave with Smatt, the mailman, on a boat to the western ocean. You'll be followin' the _Windchaser_ until it reaches the Guardians' secret isle."

Rudy and Sylvester exchanged glances. "Uh, Pop," the Krokorok spoke up uncertainly. "How in Giratina's name will we find the _Windchaser_? That's a darned big ocean ta search."

Niwri chuckled. "Smatt'll know where to go," he told them. "That Pelipper's smarter than he looks, ya know." He paused, then suddenly added, "Ya know what, I need the two of ya to stay here. I'm allowed to bring a couple of me best lackeys with me to the meeting, and yer both comin' along."

Now both Pokemon looked even more nervous. "Y-you think it'll be alright? You know, arriving without a Shard?" Sylvester stammered, almost not daring to ask. "Course they will!" Rudy argued. "Them Shards are demon hard ta find, so they'll understand… Uh, they will understand, right Pop?" he added to his father.

"I don't know," Niwri admitted. "But yer on to somethin' there, son. Those Shards are pretty darned hard to find, so maybe they will understand. You never know." He shook his head and pointed toward the door. "Now scram. You two wait while I get ready for the meeting."

Both Dark-types nodded and left without another word, shutting the door with a dull thud behind them.

-.-.-.-.-.

Rosaline hovered over her writing desk, clutching a quill in one of her four wings and writing rapidly on a piece of parchment. Taking the place of the royal family had turned out to be easier than she thought – and she definitely had no intention of being a temporary placeholder. Until El Nino told her to get down off the throne, she'd be staying.

The Masquerain put down the quill and held the letter up to the light. It was a short letter to the Abyssal Raiders, to be sent by Pelipper directly to the Gyarados himself. The letter's contents were as follows:

"_Master Nino,_

_All is well and under control in the Insect Faction. Taking over the castle has been no trouble at all, thanks to my Surskit. I've managed to secure the throne without any problems. The Insect Faction is now officially part of the Abyssal Raiders' growing territory. I wish you luck with your meeting with the others._

_Rosaline_"

She checked over the letter and decided it was satisfactory. Fluttering away from her table, she pushed open the door to her quarters and found herself in the main hall of the magnificent castle. As a Bug-type, Rosaline couldn't help but be impressed with the architecture and decorations lining every inch of the building.

Rosaline quickly located a Surskit guard and ordered him, "Take zis letter to a Pelipper and tell it to deliver it to ze Abyssal Raiders' fortress off ze coast of Deepdark Island. Is zat clear?"

The Surskit nodded his little head, accepted the parchment, and dashed off down the hall. Her Surskit were nothing if not efficient.

There was a sudden sliding sound coming from the other end of the hall. Rosaline turned in surprise to see another Surskit approaching her. This one was panting, as if he had run a long distance. "What is it? Speak," she commanded.

After a short pause, during which the guard caught his breath, the Surskit spoke. "We found the missing princess. She's fleeing ArthropodCity with Team Exo."

Rosaline's eyes flashed with anger. "No. No, she is not," she stated. "Lead ze way. I will capture her if it is ze last zing I do."

Bowing deeply, the Surskit guard slid back down the hallway at top speed, with his mistress Masquerain following. "Zat princess will not be escaping me," Rosaline vowed determinedly, flexing her antennae so that they glared in an intimidating manner.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Darkclaw, Jules, and Razor belong to Megadracosaurus, and Niwri belongs to me. A cookie if you guess where the Krookodile gets his name…**

**The Life Stealers are running out of luck, dastardly-plan-wise, and the Abyssal Raiders in turn are encountering more and more successes. Shadepelt's still working for Niwri after all, and it appears there is to be a 'meeting' of some kind soon…**

**Can our heroes still fight against this growing evil? Next chapter, coming soon!**

**Smatt: "While my new comrades are getting ready, you guys mind giving me a few letters to keep me busy?"**

**Rosaline: "As ze new queen of ze Insect Faction, I order you to review!"**

**Chapter Question #16: You're walking through the Dunedust Desert and are spontaneously attacked by the Life Stealers! What do you do?**


	29. A Meeting Most Dreadful

**I just went to go see Pacific Rim in theaters. My God on toast, that movie was awesome. The popcorn was excellent, too.**

**From Flubby48****:**

**"Dear Lavender (Lola),**

**Before all of this happened, what could you say you liked and disliked most about living like royalty. How was your life like before you managed to escape with your life?"**

**Lavender****: Well, I always hated not having any Bug-types my age to play with… And it was easy to get lost in the castle too. But whenever my Mum got a break during her duties as queen, she'd always be willing to spend a little time with me… *Sniff* I miss Mum…**

**Nice going, buddy. You just made a little girl cry.**

-.-.-.-.-.

The Glacier of Absence was one place most Pokemon didn't want to visit at the best of times. It was cold, empty, unforgiving… basically everything you could imagine from a huge mass of ice rising up out of the ocean in the middle of nowhere. Even Ice-types – who liked the cold – and Ghost-types – who were technically undead – stayed away from the Glacier, claiming it to be too inhospitable. Nevertheless, it was part of the Winter Faction, being relatively close to their main territory as it was. Plus, no other Factions really wanted the Glacier of Absence anyway.

However, this also made it the perfect place to discuss matters in secret. Especially if the matters in question weren't legal.

A perfectly circular, purplish-red portal suddenly sprung into existence just above the eternally frozen ground, and four Pokemon tumbled out of it and right onto their backsides. "Owowowow…" Sylvester muttered as he got up painfully off his rump. "Why'd we have to travel by Abra?" he complained.

Said Abra only gave him a gentle snore in response as its head bobbed forward onto its chest, deeply asleep. "Because it was better than swimming," Rudy replied. He shuddered, starting to get up but then slipping on the ice. Niwri helped him back onto his feet like any good father would.

"A better question would be," the Krookodile growled, "why'd we have to go to this darned glacier to have our meeting? I want to get back to the nice warm Dunedust Desert." He shivered from the cold for a moment, but then decided to endure it. After all, it wouldn't do to show weakness in front of his allies.

"When're they gonna show up?" Rudy demanded, shivering as well. "I'm freezin' my tail off here."

Sylvester suddenly sneezed and rubbed his nose bitterly. "For once, something the two of us can agree on," he muttered, sneezing again. "I could have sworn I just felt some frost form on my tail a second ago…" The Liepard thrashed his tail as if to shake off any forming ice before it started.

But just then, the three Life Stealers jumped and stood at attention as another portal suddenly appeared a short distance in front of them. From it, three very unpleasant figures arrived, plus an Abra. The three Pokemon gave the Life Stealers icy glares – appropriate, considering that this trio was part of the elusive Frozen Marauders gang.

The Frozen Marauders were made up of, you guessed it, Ice-type Pokemon. They had their fort dug into one of the Cold North Mountains on the mainland. They hardly ever came into contact with the other criminal gangs, only venturing down from their chilly alpine lair to plunder whatever unfortunates they could find. And once they were done, they slipped back into the mountains without a trace.

The one in front was Glacy the Froslass. With her subzero aura and general vibe circulating around her, she put everyone around her on edge. Despite that, she was actually quite attractive for an Ice-and-Ghost-type. Not that Niwri was interested – he'd probably get himself flash-frozen for even hinting that to her.

Glacy's allies were Lanche the Glalie, and the Vanilluxe twins Helios and Selene. The former's ability to freeze his prey solid in blocks of ice and the latter's power to create terribly ferocious blizzards had earned them positions directly under Glacy, who was the leader of the Frozen Marauders.

"So we are not the first ones here was we predicted," Lanche commented, with a voice like fracturing ice. "We, personally, never thought the Life Stealers would beat us to the Glacier," Helios and Selene added, speaking in unison as they always did – or at least Niwri assumed they always did.

"Agreed," Lanche responded. "Any reason for your uncharacteristically good timing?" he added to the three Dark-types. Rudy stepped forward and growled, "We've always got good timing! That's because the place where we live doesn't have six months of daylight!"

Helios and Selene's faces, usually stuck in permanent grins, suddenly twisted into ferocious scowls. They were strangely quick to anger for their species – which only made them all the more deadly. "Let's see if you still have good enough timing to make it to the afterlife within the hour," they said threateningly, shaking with fury and already expelling huge snow clouds from their tube (or as Rudy referred to it, their "straw").

"Enough fighting," Glacy hissed, and everyone present involuntarily shivered at the sound of her voice – it was high-pitched, cold, and whispery, putting even the most bitter winter wind to shame. Even the Abras tensed in their sleep as the temperature seemed to drop from the very sound.

Everyone was so unnerved that no one spoke from there on out. The only sounds were the quiet snores of the Abra and the soft moan of the wind. The Vanilluxe twins had mellowed out and now had their characteristic grins back on.

Then, the silence was finally broken by the sound of another portal opening a short distance away. Only two Pokemon, plus the accompanying Abra, tumbled down from the portal – Mara and Iron Talon, the two commanders of the Darkfeather gang.

"How're you all doing?" the Honchkrow asked in greeting, shaking her tail feathers to get some of the falling snow off. "We've been better," Sylvester said warily. "Is there a reason for your good mood?"

Mara shrugged and Iron Talon idly scraped his metallic claws on the ice. "Not really," Mara replied nonchalantly – although everyone present was an experienced enough liar to know that she wasn't telling the truth. She continued innocently, "I'm just glad to finally see my old friends again and that they're faring well." The Dark-and-Flying-type fluffed up her feathers to repel the cold.

But there was one cold that could never be repelled. "Oh, really?" inquired Glacy, the mere sound of her creepy voice enough to cause Mara to freeze in place. "Y-yes, really," she stammered back. "Well… no, not really… but you'll see when everyone's arrived." The Froslass scoffed quietly but said nothing more (_Thank Arceus,_ thought Rudy with a shiver).

"We're not faring well, thank you very much," Helios and Selene muttered with a scowl, commenting on Mara's earlier statement. "Us Marauders are no closer to finding that Shard than last time. We are feeling rather frustrated." Glacy shut them up with a glare, and they closed their mouths until they were nothing more than upward-turning lines.

Mara and Iron Talon, however, looked extremely smug. _Oh no, they didn't,_ Niwri realized, and he could tell that Glacy was thinking the same thing. She was eyeing the two birds with something like distaste.

Finally, the tense mood was broken by the sound of another portal coming into existence. And then, the tension was reformed again, stronger than before, as three Water-types fell through onto the ground.

"Ooh, I should have grabbed a thicker coat," Lady Sapphire complained, drawing her frilly shawl more tightly around her and sniffling. General Fang's mouth shut firmly, his only response to the climate. El Nino seemed unresponsive as well, although he did coil up a little tighter.

"So, us _criminales_ are all here," the Gyarados said with a grin, nodding to each of the other three groups. "It is a pleasure to see you all again, _mis amigos_." Rudy gave them a resentful look and muttered loudly, "Trust me, the pleasure's all yours."

Helios and Selene rolled all four of their eyes. "We do not like to agree with someone from the Dunedust Desert boonies, but we do in this case," they said together. Sapphire pouted and replied, "Is it too much to ask for a kind greeting once in a while? This poor girl's beginning to feel that she's not wanted here." Then when El Nino wasn't looking, she winked and hissed, "And you don't want her to think that, now would you?"

The four groups glared at each other, holding themselves back and trying not to instigate a four-way brawl. Rudy and Sylvester looked pleadingly at Niwri, begging him to let them go back home. But the Krookodile shook his head and gestured for them to stay put. _It'll be over soon, _he thought, willing the thought to somehow enter their heads. He didn't want to stay here either, but their host still hadn't arrived.

Or had he?

"You've stopped, finally," a smooth voice came from the shadows. "I was beginning to think I'd have to wade into the middle of you."

The four groups turned toward the huge icy projection that stuck out from the ground like a dagger, just in time to see two figures emerge from behind it. One was a dull grey, small Pokemon that floated in the air through electromagnetism, and the other was a repulsive, monstrous entity with ribbon-like tentacles sprouting from its head.

"SALUTATIONS," the Magnemite intoned, its voice riddled with static. "I BRING YOU KIND GREETINGS FROM THE MISTRESS."

All of the present Pokemon eyed the Electric-and-Steel-type with barely contained irritation. "We don't care about your 'mistress'," Gladys whispered. "What do you want with us and the Shards we seek?"

The other Pokemon, a Malamar, slithered forward. "I believe Bolt and I have met you before?" he inquired, looking around at the four gangs. Niwri nodded and replied, "Yes, I think. It's Nigel, right?"

The Malamar's beaky mouth grinned. "Indeed it is," he said. "It is nice to see you again, Niwri. And to you as well, Glacy, El Nino, and Mara. I trust the search for the Shards is going well for the four of you?"

Mara crossed her wings and said harshly, "Alright, fess up. Why for the sake of the Distortion World do you want our Shards?" After a moment of consideration, El Nino piled on, "Yes, you have called us here to this _solitario_ place because you want what we seek. Our search for the _Fragmentos_ has caused us great pain."

Nigel nodded understandably. "Yes, I know," he admitted, "and I am truly sorry to hear that. However, Bolt and I are willing to offer you a deal – give us the Shards, and you will get a share in the unlimited power that comes with them."

The four leaders exchanged glances. Niwri stroked his muzzle and mused, "Hmm. That does sound like a good deal, but I didn't become leader of the Life Stealers by bein' stupid. What if this is some kinda trap, or what if yer plannin' to betray us once you've acquired what ya want?"

Glacy blew a short breath of mist into the air. "For once, I am inclined to agree with Niwri," she hissed. "We do not trust others easily – if we trust others at all, that is." The other two nodded their agreement. All of the other Pokemon had faded into the background, watching the exchange between the five.

"You are a smart woman, Glacy," Nigel said respectfully. "Indeed, why should you trust us? And for the life of me, I cannot think of a reason, to tell you the honest truth. All I can say is that I am a Pokemon that is willing to stick by my deals. I respect the four of you, to be sure, and I am willing to – as stupid as this sounds – trust you _just enough_ to ask for your help without any complications. Does that seem fair to you four?"

Once more, the four gang leaders exchanged glances. The first to speak up was El Nino. "You say that our _recompensa_ for giving you these Shards is a share of their power?" he asked, partially skeptical and interested. Nigel nodded, but didn't say anything.

"The entire reason I wanted the Shards was so no one else could have them," Glacy objected. "And now you say I have to throw that away in exchange for a stronger alliance with these three idiots?"

Bolt hovered forward and droned, "WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, MADAM, AN ALLIANCE WITH THOSE THREE AS WELL AS US WOULD MAKE YOU A MUCH STRONGER POKEMON." The Malamar waved his tentacles and piled on, "Think about it, Glacy. Your realm would not be restricted to just the mountains, but a fifth of the entire world of Pokemon."

The Froslass shook her head. "I am comfortable in my mountains," she said indignantly. But then she sighed quietly and admitted, "But I will give your proposition some thought, I suppose."

Nigel bowed his head and replied, "Thank you. I'm glad you're willing to at least give the idea a chance. I assume it is the same for the rest of you?" he added, sweeping a tentacle to indicate the other three. El Nino, Niwri, and Mara all nodded.

"Excellent," Nigel said, clapping two of his tentacles together in a satisfied manner. "Now, can I expect you here again in about a week? Will that be enough time for you to give your answers?"

Mara answered, "Yes, I believe so. You'll be seeing me again next week." With a short wave goodbye, she and Iron Talon flew back into their portal with the Abra they had arrived with, and the portal winked out an instant later.

"This meeting seems to be over, then," Nigel said unconcernedly. "Please, fellow Pokemon – think this over and be prepared to give me a final answer next week." El Nino waved his tail and replied, "Us _Raiders Abisales_ will be there for certain."

The three Abyssal Raiders collected their Abra and vanished into the portal in from which they had come, with Lady Sapphire giving the other Pokemon a dainty wave farewell before disappearing as well.

"It has been a pleasure," growled Niwri, stomping back through his portal. Rudy and Sylvester hastily followed him through. Glacy, Lanche, and Helios and Selene were gone within moments of the Life Stealers' departure, leaving Nigel and Bolt alone.

"THERE ARE FIVE SHARDS TO BE FOUND," Bolt stated. "THERE ARE ONLY FOUR GROUPS TO DO THE SEARCHING." Nigel sighed and shook his head. "My good Bolt, we have to do our part as well if we wish for power over Xerneas and Yveltal. Now let us go – those Shards won't find themselves."

The Magnemite and Malamar then made their departure, leaving the forever lifeless Glacier of Absence behind.

-.-.-.-.-.

Back in their underwater fortress once more, the three Abyssal Raiders swam through one of the halls on their way to El Nino's chamber. They were in deep discussion with one another about what to do.

"I, for one, think this deal smells fishy," General Fang growled, fully aware of the unintended pun he had made and unwilling to elaborate on it. "That Nigel character is very suspicious."

El Nino gave what was as close to a shrug as he could get, lacking arms as he was. "Maybe, General, but we are suspicious Pokemon as well. And think of all the _desastres naturales_ striking the oceans and giving us grief – don't you think it would be worth it to have control over them? To make others suffer for once?"

The Sharpedo said nothing, simply jetting along beside the Gyarados. His leader made an excellent point, even if he was unwilling to admit it just yet.

"I don't think this is a good idea," Lady Sapphire said abruptly. "Why is that Malamar doing this, offering us a piece of the power that comes with the Shards? Why doesn't he just take it all for himself?"

She glanced at the other two, who were staring at her. "That's what I think he's doing," the Frillish continued. "He's promising us this huge reward in return for all of our hard work, and then once the Shards are his, he'll destroy us all in one swoop! That's why I think we should hold onto our Shard and grab the others for ourselves."

After a moment of consideration, El Nino shook his head. "No, it is too _arriesgado_, my lady," he replied. "If we try to steal the other Shards from our _aliados_, they will most likely band together and wipe us out. But if we go with what Nigel has offered, then at least we will stay _seguro_ for now." General Fang nodded slowly, still undecided. _Both of them are making very good points,_ he thought slowly. _But which is better?_

Lady Sapphire looked at El Nino angrily. "Fine then," she said, trying to control her temper. "You decide what you think is best, and I'll go along with it." Her leader gave her an approving smile and nod.

She excused herself and drifted off down another corridor, deep in her thoughts. Sapphire definitely did not like where this was going. She didn't trust Nigel or his Magnemite assistant any further than she could throw them. _The two of them are planning something with those Shards,_ she thought grimly. _And I just know that they're only making false promises to motivate us to give them what they want…_

The Frillish turned a corner and into another, quieter tunnel. "The Abyssal Raiders' time is running out," she said to herself. "And when I'm done with them, _I'll_ have the Shard safely in my grasp."

A passing group of Goldeen shot off down the tunnel as quickly as their fins could carry them as Sapphire's evil laugher echoed after them.

-.-.-.-.-.

**The members of the Frozen Marauders belong to me, although the idea for an Ice-type criminal gang was inspired by one of FinalPower's reviews, so a big thanks to you.**

**Nigel and Bolt are mine as well. Is it just me, or does Malamar's face remind anyone of the cockatoo from "Rio"?**

**So it seems that the aforementioned two are willing to bargain with the four criminal gangs for the Shards they seek! What do they want with them, and will we ever see more of Bolt and Nigel again? And what exactly is Lady Sapphire planning to do with the Abyssal Raiders' Shard?**

**Smatt will be taking off for his mission with Rudy and Sylvester soon, so this is the last opportunity to give him a letter to one of the characters! (There will be more in the future, don't worry.)**

**The next chapter of "Destined Explorers of Legend" will come soon!**

**Bolt: "THE MISTRESS WISHES FOR YOU TO REVIEW."**

**Chapter Question #17: What Pokemon do you want to see most in this fanfic that we haven't yet seen?**


	30. Unexpected Union

**Indeed, there are all sorts of unpleasant surprises in store for this group of characters, as they are united with a certain desperate group of Bug-types…**

**… As well as someone they thought they'd never see again, someone they aren't exactly on the best terms with…**

**Smatt's flying off now for his mission with Rudy and Sylvester, but he's spared a little bit of time to answer this question:**

**From FinalPower****:**

**"Dear Smatt,**

**Have you ever been scared of any of the clients you deliver letters too? And have you ever met any lovely bird Pokemon you wouldn't mind spending time with during said deliveries?"**

**Smatt****: I run the Dunedust Desert's only post office, so I've met my fair share of tough characters. Niwri's not much compared to the folks I've seen! And I've got a wife and kids back home, it would be nice to see them again sometime…**

**Transmorphic Wyvern: Don't you mean "'icy' what you did there"? XD**

-.-.-.-.-.

At one spot on the mainland, there was a narrow strip of ordinary grassland that separated the Bughaven Forest and the coastline. It was nothing too large – only about half a kilometer of nothing but grass in between a lush forest and the sea. But further ahead lay the Bughaven Kingdom's main trade route with Vulcana City, and that was exactly what a certain group of travelers were looking for.

Alphonse paused to wipe some sweat from his bell. This far from SeasideVillage and the storm that had hit it, the sky was clear and blue, save for the bright, bright sun that beat down relentlessly on him.

"Ugh, this heat is killing me!" he muttered bitterly. "It's too bright in this part of the world. What I wouldn't give to be back on Diamond Island right now, running my little shop…" He would have gone on if it weren't for Evelyn, who swatted him lightly with her tail.

"I know," she replied impatiently. "But sadly, neither of us will see our home again, and it doesn't pay right now to dwell on old memories. You know what Dialga would say, right?"

The Tentacruel grumbled as he recalled what was engraved on the Temporal Pokemon's pedestal in the Town of Peace's town square – "You can't make progress by looking behind you, only in front." In other words, Dialga's words of wisdom said that a Pokemon could only move on in life if they focused on what lay ahead, not getting lost in what had already passed.

Barn, Elf, and Adrianna heard their companions' conversation, but didn't jump in. Adrianna could tell that it was a rather personal thing they were talking about right now. The two owl Pokemon, on the other hand, felt that it really wasn't necessary to say anything when they still didn't know what Diamond Island was (or used to be).

Each of the Pokemon carried a small treasure bag with them, courtesy of Adrianna. She had made a brief top in Seaside Village and picked up a treasure bag for each of them, which they had thanked her for. Now they had a place to safely store their shares of the treasure from the cave they had explored earlier.

"All this talking about the past is making me feel a little awkward," Elf said, hopping along beside her friends. "Sometimes it's good to reflect on the past," Barn mused in response. "What was your life like before all of this happened, Adrianna?" he added.

The Gardevoir shrugged, adjusting her grip on Topaz. "I used to be on a rescue team," she said, and the two owls grew very excited at this. "You mean you were with the Guardians?" asked Barn, eyes wide.

Adrianna nodded. "Yes. Then after I met and married my husband, I decided to retire in order to raise our children. From then on, my life's been rather ordinary. Ordinary to be sure, but I'm definitely happy for such a life." She paused a moment to reminisce peacefully, then turned inquisitively to Barn and Elf and asked, "What about you two?"

The Hoothoot replied, "What's to tell? We're wild Pokemon." Barn piled on, "For us, it was just peaceful, lazy days in our parents' nests, and then we grew up and started to fend for ourselves." He fluttered his wings in an attempt to cool off, as he was getting a little warm.

"What about Mara?" Adrianna continued. "She claimed to know the two of you just before we battled, it seemed." Topaz squirmed a little in his mother's arms as he tried to get more comfortable, and then settled down again.

"The Darkfeathers kidnapped us about a month after we left our nests," Barn replied, reluctant to explain and thus relive the bad memories, but at the same time unwilling to disappoint the Psychic-type by not giving an answer. "The reason they wanted us was because someone had made a deal with them – a certain Pokemon wanted our psychic abilities to get through the cave we traversed earlier, and Mara wanted something called a 'Shard' in return. We escaped, and now we want to find the Guardians and tell them about the Darkfeathers' plan."

There was a short period of silence. "How do you even know about the Guardians?" asked Adrianna. Elf rolled her crimson eyes and replied, "What kind of question is that? Everyone knows about the Guardians. Our parents used to tell us stories about them and all the good deeds they did."

It was the Noctowl's turn to roll his eyes as he spoke up, "'Good deeds' is a bit of a misnomer. 'Legendary deeds' is more like it. We want to join and be part of this noble society of Pokemon, and fight against the Darkfeathers and other evil."

Further conversation was cut off by the sounds of Evelyn and Alphonse approaching. "We want to join the Guardians as well," the Dragonair said. "The two of us already planned to form a rescue team along with our friend Terra… who was separated from us in that big storm…" Her voice trailed off sadly as she remembered the dear Charmander.

"Hey, remember what you said?" Alphonse chastised her. "We have to hope that she's alright. And not… you know, dead." That last part sounded more like he was trying to reassure himself more than anyone else.

But then, from the distant-yet-relatively-nearby forest to the north, they could hear what sounded like a commotion. "RUN!" boomed a distant voice. "Don't let them GET you!" Then the group heard what sounded like a stampede of Pokemon coming from the trees.

"What in the world…" Barn began, but was cut short as three figures burst from the forest and ran frantically toward them. There were a Yanmega, Eevee, and Venonat, all running as if Giratina himself was after them.

"Hey, you folks!" cried the Yanmega, who appeared to be the leader of the group. He also seemed to have a wooden leg along with the other three. "Help us! We've got a whole bunch of bad Bug-types chasing us!" screamed the Venonat, and Barn and Co. could see as she got closer that she was only a child.

And then said "bad Bug-types" appeared from the forest in hot pursuit – at least twenty Surskit. "Hoo boy," Alphonse commented, shading his eyes. "That's one heck of a gang." Barn puffed himself up in order to hide his initial fear, fluffing out his feathers and trying to make himself look fiercer.

"I guess we have to save the day again?" Elf commented wryly, already hopping into a battle position beside her friend. Adrianna just sighed wearily and made sure that Topaz was safe.

The three Bug-types stopped in front of the six other Pokemon. "Are you a rescue team?" the Venonat squeaked, glancing back frightfully at the advancing Surskit. Adrianna shook her head even as her heart went out to the young girl. "No, we're not," Evelyn replied, wrapping her tail protectively around the little Bug-and-Poison-type. "But we'll help just the same."

Then that booming voice rang out from nowhere. "EXCELLENT!" it cried, making everyone jump. "I'm GLAD to see that we can COUNT on YOU FOLKS!"

The Eevee huffed in frustration. "For Arceus' sake, Goliath, show yourself to the poor Pokemon before you scare them to death!" Then everyone blinked in astonishment as the tiny Midjet appeared seemingly from out of thin air to hover before them.

"Are you kidding me?" Alphonse said, snorting even with the Surskit army converging on them. "HEY, are we going to LAUGH or FIGHT?" Goliath demanded, gesturing with a nearly invisible leg to the Surskit.

"He makes a good point, no matter his size," Barn said, already focusing on the hostile Bug-types. "Take Down!" he cried, flying forward and smashing into the nearest one, sending it spinning off across the ground.

Then the rest of the Surskit reached the group and immediately launched into a series of attacks. "Thunderbolt!" Adrianna cried as she was forced away from her friends by four of the Bug-and-Water-types. She unleashed a bolt of chain lightning that jumped to each foe until they all collapsed in sizzling heaps.

"Toxic Spikes!" cried Alphonse, throwing down bubbling purple caltrops which sunk into the ground. The battlefield rapidly became a minefield – but thanks to the Surskits' spindly legs, they were easily able to avoid the caltrops. The Tentacruel cursed and then used Screech to stun a few of them.

Evelyn and Chelicerae were dealing with the largest group of Surskit – half of them, to be precise. They kept the ferocious little Bug-types on their toes with a flurry of Thunder Waves, Bug Buzzes, and Dragon Rages.

Meanwhile, Lavender shivered as Elf and Tara worked together to take down another pair of Surskit. Goliath zipped around the battlefield, too fast to be seen. Wherever he went, Surskits fell to the ground, stunned too badly to move. But they weren't fighting for long when a voice rang out clearly into the air.

"No, no, no!" the heavy-accented voice called. "I 'ave seen Torchic 'atchlings fight with more of ze grace of combat!" A Masquerain flitted down from the sky to hover at the head of the Surskit squad, who all retreated behind her.

"What do you think you're doing, Rosaline?" Tara demanded, as her and the others of Team Exo took charge. The Masquerain laughed and replied, "Why, whatever do you mean, Madame Tara?"

Goliath looked ready to explode as he buzzed right up to Rosaline's face. "Taking over the BUGHAVEN KINGDOM, THAT'S WHAT!" he roared, and everyone present instinctively moved back from the noise. "We HEAR you are part of the ABYSSAL RAIDERS! EXPLAIN YOURSELF!"

Rosaline looked around at the assembled Pokemon, then suddenly laughed. "You are right, my petite friend," she chuckled. "Ze Bug'aven Kingdom is indeed part of ze Abyssal Raiders now. We are expanding our reach across ze continent, and soon, not even ze Guardians will be able to stop us, no?" The Masquerain chuckled again.

Now Goliath was just speechless, or else he was talking to himself, too quietly for anyone to hear. Alphonse suddenly broke the silence, lashing his tentacles in preparation for combat. "Then we'll just have to stop you right here and now, lady," he growled, holding up two tentacles as if they were fists.

Everyone else agreed with different degrees of reluctance. Adrianna in particular was cautious now that she knew was about to fight a member of the Abyssal Raiders, a group that she had heard of here and there during her time as a rescue team member. Barn and Elf were raring to go, never hearing of how dangerous the Raiders were supposed to be.

And Lavender? Well, she was just plain terrified.

"TAKE THIS!" Goliath screamed just then. "BUG _BUUUUUUUUZZZZZZZ_!" His voice suddenly rose to a high-pitched, ultrasonic shriek that devastated everyone's ears and caused Rosaline to stagger mid-air. It was then that everyone realized that Goliath had been using Bug Buzz to make his voice louder the entire time. _Wow, creative,_ Lavender thought in wonder.

"Enough!" cried Rosaline as the incredible noise died down. "It is like a thousand claws scraping down a chalkboard!" She unleashed a powerful Silver Wind that easily blew Goliath away and smashed into the other Pokemon.

"Oh yeah?" Cheli said, recovering first and using a Silver Wind of his own. The two opposing windstorms met head-to-head and alternated pushing each other back. Something would need to be done to alter the stalemate.

"Poison Jab!" yelled Alphonse, charging forward at Rosaline with four of his tentacles dripping with sticky poison. The Masquerain saw him coming and purposely stopped her Silver Wind, allowing Cheli's attack to plow into her and send her flying a good distance from the Tentacruel. When she recovered, she delivered another Silver Wind that sent Alphonse sprawling on the ground.

Now Evelyn, Barn, and Lavender came at her with their attacks. A Dragon Rage, Extrasensory, and Signal Beam all sped across the battlefield toward their target, only to be met with a ferocious Hydro Pump. It checked the Dragon Rage and Signal Beam with a smoke-filled explosion, but the psychic energy of the Barn's Extrasensory couldn't be blocked. It phased right through the Hydro Pump and struck right at Rosaline's mind, sending her reeling through the air.

"No, no!" Rosaline shouted with a wince. "Zese clumsy attacks pain my eyes as I am forced to observe them!" Then as Barn and Elf came at her with Take Down and Peck, she conjured up a powerful Hurricane attack that spun them around and hurled them into their friends.

Rosaline's Surskit minions began to swarm the battlefield in order to protect their leader, and Adrianna, Tara, and Lavender managed them while the others dealt with the Masquerain. Thunderbolts sizzled, Tackles hit their mark, and Sleep Powder flew through the air as the three females fought to keep the Bug-types away.

Meanwhile, Goliath was whooping with amusement as he came at Rosaline with Extremespeed. Normally this attack was pretty dang fast, but with Goliath's already-extreme speed, it was just ridiculous. A few Pokemon couldn't help chuckling as Rosaline was battered by a storm of powerful impacts that flung her every which way.

Finally, Rosaline screamed in anger and created a Hurricane around herself, which caught Goliath just as he was about to hit her for the fiftieth time. "WHOAWHOAWHOAWHOAWHOAWHOAWHOAWHOA!" he shouted as he was whirled around dizzyingly. When the attack faded and the punishing winds no longer assaulted the group, the poor Midjet drifted down to the ground and lay there, too disoriented to even move.

The three girls holding off the Surskit rapidly became surrounded. But as they looked up to witness Goliath spiraling down to land on the ground, Lavender's compound eyes sparked with a million flames (after all, they had just as many lenses).

"No you don't!" she cried, brushing past the startled Surskit and charging at Rosaline. "This is for my family! POISON FANG!"

The Venonat jumped with all her might and landed on Rosaline's back. Even as the Masquerain gave a surprised scream, Lavender's glowing purple fangs clamped down on her head. Now her scream became a terrible wail as Rosaline fluttered erratically around, trying to shake off the biting Bug-and-Poison-type. Lavender held on tight, chewing ravenously and injecting venom with each little bite. To Rosaline, each bite was like a stab with a knife, and the poison was like having the wounds treated with lemon juice. Ouch.

Just then, a ferocious screech split the afternoon sky. The battle halted as the noise pierced through even the din of combat. A shadow flashed across the ground, momentarily blotting out the sun. The Surskit instinctively retreated, clustering around Rosaline as if to protect her. The Masquerain gave a painful moan as she slowly fluttered down to the ground, Lavender's poison clearly taking its effect on her. The Venonat scuttled away to rejoin her friends.

Then an explosive sound wave swept across the grassland, ripping blades of grass from the ground and sending them flying everywhere. On the battlefield, everyone looked nervous as they glanced around for the source of the noise. And then it made itself known as a terrifying entity suddenly plunged down to land in front of Team Exo and Co.

It was a Noivern! But not just any Noivern – _the_ Noivern!

The Flying-and-Dragon-type gave a screech that sent the Surskit skittering back into the Bughaven Forest. "Zis is not ze last you have seen of me!" Rosaline shouted weakly back. "I will be back for you, Princess Lavender!"

And then they were gone, even as the Noivern screeched at them again. "Yes, you flee!" he cried. "Clear out, you sorry scoundrels!" He waited a moment, then turned toward the astounded group with a hopeful smile on his maw.

"So," he said conversationally. "Do you think I vould made a good Guardian?"

Barn lifted a shaky wing. "Y-You!" he said, pointing at him with a feather. The Noivern nodded and smiled. "I indeed recognize you. You vere the vun that gave Vladimir inspiration!"

Adrianna held Topaz protectively as she advanced two steps on the bat-like wyvern. "Are you out for revenge?" she asked suspiciously. "Are you mad that we beat you so badly? Is that why you're here?"

Vladimir shook his head and sighed. "It is true, Vladimir is most frustrated over his loss," he admitted. "But Vladimir has realized! I vould be able to gain in power ven teamed with group! Now Vladimir vishes to join Guardians and become part of rescue team!"

Barn, Elf, Adrianna, Alphonse, and Evelyn were completely speechless. Lavender, Team Exo, and Topaz all tilted their heads in confusion, not recognizing the dragon. "Are you saying that you would like to join us on our quest to find the Guardians as well?" Evelyn asked incredulously, and Vladimir nodded once.

"Well then, WELCOME ABOARD!" Goliath suddenly shouted, up and at 'em once more. Vladimir was perhaps the most startled out of all of them. "We could ALWAYS use a STRONG Pokemon on our SIDE!"

Tara was livid. "Goliath!" she scolded. "How many times do I have to tell you…" But she didn't get to finish her sentence as Barn seemed to get over his shock. "If there's no hard feelings over what happened when we first met…" he said cautiously. "Then I, for one, am willing to welcome you to our quest."

Vladimir's ferocious face broke into a happily relieved smile. "I am indeed thankful," he said humbly, bowing. "I also apologize for how I acted vhen ve first met. I vas only trying to defend vhat vas mine." Elf nodded and responded, "Territory." She nodded again, understanding the fellow wild Pokemon's motives.

"Umm, who is this?" Cheli asked his and his teammates' newfound friends. "A wild Pokemon we ran into a while back," Alphonse explained. "I personally never thought I'd see him again." Vladimir took the somewhat insensitive remark in stride.

"Come on, Vlad," Evelyn said casually, gesturing for him to follow. "We've got a long overdue appointment at Vulcana City." Her and her friends began to walk off, followed closely by Team Exo and Lavender. "I'm guessing you're not up to date on current events, so I'll explain everything on the way," she added.

"Alright," Vladimir complied, beginning to walk after his newfound companions. "But just vun thing – please never call me 'Vlad' again."

-.-.-.-.-.

**My sister came up with a very good point the other day – why is it that the Pokemon have to shout out their attacks before using them? Well, I've come up with an answer, one that won't be revealed just yet.**

**That aside – let us welcome back Vladimir the Noivern! (You hit the nail on the head, TriMaplenut! I was indeed planning for Vladimir to come back in this chapter.) He's made up with the group he fought previously, entirely out of admiration, and is now journeying with them to Vulcana City! But will Rosaline and her dreaded Surskit come back to haunt them again?**

**Vladimir: "Vhat are you looking at? Review, if you vill!"**

**Chapter Question #18: Team Bloodsucker versus Team Exo! Whom do you think would win and why?**


	31. Fighting in the Abyssal Arena

**What's the word count on "Destined Explorers of Legend", you ask? Well, I'll tell you…**

**IT'S OVER 90,000!**

**And yes, you're reading the title right – an arena battle! What will its effects be on our favorite group of heroes-turned-prisoners?**

**TriMaplenut: Yeah, I'm actually working on a map of the continent and its surrounding areas. It's coming along well and I will post it on Deviantart or something when I have everything all figured out.**

-.-.-.-.-.

Cenric woke up with a start. There were loud noises going on outside his cell, which was unusual – ever since his move from Team Knights' cell to Sam and Blanca's, things had been very quiet in this dungeon. Very quiet, that is, and very boring. To be honest, Cenric felt quite relieved that there seemed to be something interesting going on now.

"Sam? Blanca?" he cautioned. "What's going on? It sounds like some kind of commotion." The Ninetales and Absol both shook their heads wearily, looking deflated. They suddenly seemed upset about something.

"It's not a commotion," Sam said, even as the sound of cell doors opening and being slammed shut again pierced the otherwise silent dungeon. "It's something El Nino does every few weeks. Whenever we get enough prisoners, he throws them in the Abyssal Arena for the amusement of himself and the Raiders."

The Buizel's eyes widened with horror. "An arena?" he repeated, freaked out. "You mean they have Pokemon fight for sport here?"

Blanca sadly replied, "I'm afraid so. They've got nothing else to use the prisoners for, so why not have them battle? Anyway, we've never been sent into the arena ourselves – if we die, then the Raiders lose their hold on Madeleine. But we've heard from other prisoners that it's awful." She shivered and sat down on the cavern floor.

"I'll bet," Cenric murmured. He was about to say something else when a sudden creaking sound made him whip around. The cell door was opening, and a Crawdaunt guard was already reaching in with his pincer.

Before Cenric could even blink, he was being seized painfully by the scruff of his neck and hauled out of the cell. Instantly, he realized what was going on as he observed Sam and Blanca and the frightened look in their eyes.

"Whatever you do, stay alive!" Sam called, and that was the last he heard from them. His captor swung him around so that he was dangling in front of the guard, and then carried him off down a path that led deeper into the dungeon.

_Oh no,_ Cenric thought. _I just hope the Pokemon I have to fight isn't one of my friends… _He gulped and tried not to think about it as the Crawdaunt hauled him helplessly toward a fate unknown.

-.-.-.-.-.

Cenric was so glad to see his friends again that he almost forgot his intense worry. The Crawdaunt guard dropped him in a small stone chamber with a door on opposite ends, and then retreated back through the door they had come through and shut it with a bang. In front of the Buizel stood Fireclaw, Lancelot, and Wyvern.

"Good to see you're still hanging on, squirt," the Charmeleon said with a curt nod. "We don't have to fight each other, do we?" Cenric instantly blurted, looking from one Pokemon to the next frightfully. He was somewhat relieved when Wyvern shook his head uncertainly.

"No, I don't believe so," the Archeops said. "I'm thinkin' that we have to work together if we're to survive our real opponents." He paused, and then added hastily, "But don't quote me on that."

_Way to soothe my nerves,_ Cenric thought grimly, shuddering in fear. The thought of fighting one of these powerful Pokemon filled him with guilt and sadness. _And quite a bit of terror,_ he noted as he observed Lancelot's blades, Wyvern's teeth and claws, and Fireclaw's torch of a tail.

Suddenly, the door opposite the one the Buizel had entered through opened, and in slipped two unpleasant Water-types – none other than the murderous mistress and her husband themselves, Sapphire and Neptune.

"Hello, dearies!" Sapphire trilled, clapping her tentacles together cheerfully. "Everything's almost ready for you in the arena. I hope you're willing to fight your hardest, because it would be a shame for you to be mercilessly killed, wouldn't it?" She sighed with what seemed like regret, but everyone could tell it was an act.

It was then that Neptune spoke up. They had all met the blue Frillish already, and Cenric personally thought he wasn't so bad when compared to the other Abyssal Raiders. And compared to his wife, he was positively charming.

"The arena is just through here," he was saying. "A lot of Raiders are hoping you'll die horribly, to tell you the truth. But a surprising number of them are actually rooting for you. After all, we've all heard how much of a fight Team Knights can put up." He smirked at Lancelot and Fireclaw, who didn't give any indication that they had noticed.

"Just between you and me," Neptune continued, leaning in conspiratorially, "Sapphire and I are hoping you'll win as well." At this, Wyvern and Lancelot's eyes both shot up in surprise. "Really? Why would that be?" the Gallade asked skeptically.

Lady Sapphire beamed at him as she replied brightly, "Because if you live, then _I'll_ get to kill you!" She gave him her most winning smile as Wyvern snorted, "And we definitely wouldn't want to disappoint you."

The pink Frillish looked over at him. "Oh, aren't you sweet?" she gushed at him, either ignoring his sarcasm or missing it entirely. She suddenly stopped smiling and cocked her head toward the door she had come through.

"Sounds like everything's just about ready, from the crowd's cheering," Neptune remarked. "Good luck out there, you four. Come, Sapphire dear," he added, floating his way back to the door. She followed him after a second, during which she gave Lancelot a seductive smile and whispered, "Stay strong, handsome."

The two slipped through the door and shut it behind them, leaving a _very_ uncomfortable group behind them.

"Who thinks we should sacrifice ourselves willingly just to get away from that witch?" Wyvern offered, raising a hand. Fireclaw shook his head and replied, "Sounds like a plan. Lancelot, you should join in – you're probably the worst off out of all of us if she gets her filthy tentacles on you."

He looked at the Gallade knowingly, and the Psychic-and-Fighting type shuddered.

"In all seriousness," Lancelot spoke up, the tone of his voice causing everyone to pay attention, "we really should try our best to stay alive. I think I have a plan incubating at the moment. A plan for escape."

But before he could elaborate, a pair of Crawdaunt guards entered through the door and forced everyone through the other one. Nothing but a bare, downwards-sloping staircase lay ahead. And at the end, another door.

A door with the faint sounds of a chanting crowd emanating from behind.

Those sounds grew louder as the group of prisoners marched forward, the sound of their footsteps slowly being muted against the increasing noise. Then finally, they reached the door, and the Crawdaunt shoved them through without a word.

The arena was bigger than any of them had imagined. It was an immense, bowl-shaped cavern with multiple ledges running around the circumference. The ledges were stacked one after the other, starting about halfway up the cavern's walls and ending a few feet from the ceiling. They were also packed with Water-type Pokemon of all shapes and sizes, all chanting and cheering. Although Cenric was a Water-type himself, he didn't find anything comforting in the familiar.

And he wasn't the only one. "This place is making me sick," Wyvern said, tensing up with anticipation and anger, with a bit of nervousness thrown in. "How do you think I feel?" the Fire-type Fireclaw asked softly.

When the group of four stopped in the center of the arena, they noticed the huge, projecting ledge in front of and above them. The ledge was about two-thirds up toward the ceiling, and was also boxed in with short "walls" ringing the edges. Peering down from said ledge were El Nino, General Fang, Neptune, and Lady Sapphire – a quartet of crooks.

Far below the ledge was another door, possibly leading towards another part of the dungeon. But on the flat ceiling, a hole took up over half of it. Beyond the hole, the four prisoners could see the moonlit sky, casting a beam of pearly light upon the ground, which was situated under a layer of thigh-deep water.

It had been so long for the prisoners when they had last seen the sky… Wyvern, as a Flying-type, looked up wistfully, silently wishing to be a part of that wide world again.

"Greetings, and _mucho_ great hellos!" El Nino boomed, laughing. "Welcome, _mis amigos_, to the Abyssal Arena!" The four Pokemon glared up at the Gyarados heatedly. If looks could kill, he'd be dead four times over.

"And now, time to meet your opponents!" El Nino said with a flourish, ignoring their hostility. A Tentacool also in the boxed-off ledge yanked a lever, and the stone door on the other end of the arena creaked open. And then four powerful-looking Pokemon stepped out, emitting low growls from deep in their throats.

Wyvern, Lancelot, and Fireclaw could instantly recognize the quartet as wild Pokemon. Their scowls, the killer look in their eyes, and the feral aura around them clearly identified them as such. There was a Stunfisk, Seismitoad, Kingdra, and Omastar, stomping through the shallow water, all looking ready to fight to the death against their new adversaries.

"Looks like we're going to have to split up in order to take down all four of them," Cenric growled, trying to hide his intimidation of the strong-looking Pokemon. "Agreed," Fireclaw said, put off by all but the Stunfisk. He continued, "Alright, here's the plan. Wyvern, you battle Kingdra. I'll go for Stunfisk, and Cenric will fight Omastar. Lancelot, that leaves Seismitoad for you."

Lancelot nodded and slowly extended his arm blades. "If one of us finishes his opponent, we'll go assist someone else," he advised, earning a thumbs-up from each of his comrades.

And then the four wild Pokemon charged, impatient to get the fight started. As planned, Lancelot, Wyvern, Fireclaw, and Cenric each went after individual foes. The crowd of Abyssal Raiders looked down with excitement as the brawl began to heat up.

Cenric the Buizel squared off against Omastar. The squid-like fossil Pokemon avoided his Razor Wind by retreating into its shell and then retaliated with a ferocious Spike Cannon. Cenric just barely dodged out of the way of the incoming missiles before firing up an Aqua Jet. Even as Omastar oozed out of its shell again, Cenric hit it right in its soft body, causing it to shriek in pain.

As they sparred, Wyvern engaged in a duel of speed and strength with Kingdra. Both were fast, and Wyvern was much stronger, but if Kingdra landed a hit on him, then his Defeatist ability would activate and he would lose for certain. "Dragon Tail!" Wyvern cried even as Kingdra blasted him with Dragon Pulse. His glowing tail smashed the glowing projectile right back into Kingdra's face, sending it to the ground with a splash. The Archeops took the opportunity and sprang forward, already readying another Dragon Tail.

On the other side of the arena, Fireclaw traded blows with the Stunfisk. The flat Ground-and-Electric-type fired a barrage of Mud Bombs, which the Charmeleon deflected with Iron Tail. Although he was at a disadvantage, Fireclaw knew he stood a much better chance against Stunfisk than any of the Water-types. "Fire Spin!" he roared, spraying out a jet of flame that curled around like a ribbon. Stunfisk gurgled as he was burned by the whirling fire, but leapt right back into battle.

Heedless of his allies' troubles, Lancelot sparred violently with Seismitoad, the most powerful of the bunch. As usual, he had been sent to deal with the most difficult of the four. But in this case, he could see Fireclaw's reasoning. A couple of Leaf Blades and the big toad would be down in less time than it took to blink. But as Lancelot lunged again and again with his glowing green blades, Seismitoad made things difficult by blocking each one with Poison Jab. The Gallade gritted his teeth as the Water-and-Ground-type threw its fist out from nowhere and socked him in the gut with Drain Punch.

Wincing as his energy was sapped by the powerful attack, Lancelot suddenly realized that he should be being smarter about this. Leaping elegantly back from another Poison Jab, he cried, "Swords Dance!" As he said this, he was suddenly surrounded by ghostly swords that spun and clashed around him. Lancelot could feel the ritual increasing his power dramatically.

Just as the swords faded away, Seismitoad expanded its throat sac and let out a gurgling roar that swept toward him. Undeterred, Lancelot extended one of his blades and spun around, releasing a curved blade of energy right at the advancing Hyper Voice. His Psycho Cut sliced right through the sound, rendering it harmless, and slashed the Seismitoad's spirit – as a Psychic-type move, it wouldn't do physical damage. But right now, Seismitoad was shaking as it fell to its knees and tried to rise.

"Leaf Blade!" shouted Lancelot, running forward and ready to deal the final blow.

-.-.-.-.-.

Wyvern distantly heard Fireclaw's cry of pain and Seismitoad's agonized roar, but the sounds were faint in his ears. His entire focus was on defeating Kingdra, who dashed around through the water, trying to outflank him. The Archeops gasped silently as he avoided a powerful Hydro Pump by the skin of his teeth. _That was way too close,_ he thought.

"Rock Slide!" he yelled, and the ground shook as huge boulders slid down from invisible portals to crash into the earth. Kingdra blanched and gurgled fearfully as it dashed around in a circle, avoiding each boulder. Wyvern had one shot at defeating the distracted Kingdra, and you'd better believe he was going to take it.

The Archeops dove under one of the last of the falling rocks and sprinted forward, loudly splashing through the shallow water. "Dragon Tail!" he shouted, with his tail beginning to take on a lavender glow. When he was nearly on top of the distracted Kingdra, he spun forcefully and whipped his deadly tail into the side of Kingdra's head.

The force sent the aquatic dragon flying into the air and skidding across the ground when it landed. It hadn't even slowed down when its head crashed into a boulder, and its eyes rolled back into its head as its consciousness slipped away. Wyvern stopped, breathed a heavy sigh of relief, and dashed off to help Cenric against his foe.

The Buizel wasn't faring well, as Omastar's shell blocked every single one of his attacks, allowing the fossil Pokemon to retaliate with Spike Cannon or Water Gun. Wyvern reached the fight just in time to see Cenric fall with a grunt to a close-range Water Gun after failing his Aqua Jet attack. But seeing the Rock-and-Flying-type rushing to his aid gave him strength, and thus Cenric fought on.

But Fireclaw… he wasn't faring too well. A surprise Scald attack from Stunfisk had been mostly avoided, but it had badly burned his left leg, and he now moved with a limp. It was getting harder to dodge his adversary's attacks and effectively execute a counterattack.

"F… Fire… Fire Spin," he grunted as the pain flared up, and released the flaming twister from his mouth. But Stunfisk had seen it coming and was already on the move, retaliating with a Thundershock attack that left Fireclaw trembling. _How… how much longer can I hold out against this guy? _the Charmeleon seethed.

He looked up at the hole in the ceiling with the moonlight pouring down through. It wasn't much light, but it would have to do. Fireclaw willed his tail flame to absorb the light, and it began to glow faintly and sparkle around the edges as it did just that.

Stunfisk grew tired of waiting for Fireclaw to attack and fired a Mud Bomb over his head, trying to get him to react. But the Charmeleon didn't budge, being content to rest a moment and stare the flat fish down. His tail flame glowed even brighter, signaling the absorption of more energy. _Any second now…_

Suddenly, a flurry of Mud Bombs was shot straight at Fireclaw, and he snapped back to attention. Just barely, he managed to duck and dive past every single one. He felt the energy reach its peak – it was now or never.

"SOLARBEAM!" he roared loud enough for the whole arena to hear as he exhaled the powerful, white-hot beam of pure solar power. Stunfisk didn't have any time to react as the scorching energy slammed into it and propelled it into the far wall. Hitting the wall at such a speed broke every bone in its body, and the Solarbeam burnt it to a crisp. It gently peeled off the wall and flopped to the ground.

Fireclaw was in no condition to move on, and yet he had to. Glancing around the battlefield, he could see that only the Omastar remained of the four original foes, and Lancelot was already running to help Cenric and Wyvern. He grunted and slowly splashed forward to help as well, wincing every time he used his bad leg. The cold water he waded through soothed the burn somewhat, but it was still excruciating.

Wyvern and Cenric launched a Rock Slide and Razor Wind attack. Both attacks hit the rigid shell of the Omastar – the Razor Wind deflected harmlessly off of it, and the Rock Slide pummeled it without damaging it in the slightest. The moment it was free, Omastar sprang out from its hiding place and fired a Water Gun that doused both of them.

But then, Lancelot was there. With his earlier Swords Dance still in effect, he gave a battle cry and readied a Leaf Blade. He extended his sword, and brought it down onto Omastar's shell. It hit with such force that it cracked the shell and damaged the soft Pokemon inside. Omastar hissed with pain and backed away, suddenly timid. Trickles of blood ran down its face from inside of its shell. It tried to retreat, but it instantly recoiled with pain and exposed itself once more.

It was the perfect moment to strike. Cenric became surrounded with water even as he gave a gurgling yell. "Aqua Jet!" he spoke through his mouthful of liquid, and blasted forward at their helpless foe.

He hit Omastar with incredible force, prompting an agonized cry from the wild Pokemon. It slid backwards a fair distance, and then slumped to the ground, unconscious. The last foe had been defeated.

The crowd of Raiders cheered and clapped for the victors (although there were a lot of groans and curses as well), glad to have seen such an action-packed battle. From the boxed-off ledge, El Nino thumped the ground with his tail ecstatically, grinning widely and beaming down at the four friends. General Fang looked reluctantly impressed, and Sapphire and Neptune clapped their tentacles and cheered along with the rest of them.

If they had been sick when they first entered the arena, then the foursome was definitely nauseous now. The cheering and chanting disgusted them, and they were more then happy to see the Crawdaunt guards that came to take them back to their cell.

The burly Water-and-Dark-types closed the door behind them as they forced the prisoners into the tunnel, cutting off the sound of the crowd's cheering abruptly. The Crawdaunt marched them up the staircase and back into the dungeon's corridors without a word.

Wyvern was relieved that it was over, Lancelot was lost in the eerie silence, Cenric was stoic, and Fireclaw was hurt. The four must not have looked a pretty sight as they trudged down the corridor and back to their cells.

As they turned the corner, a trio of shadowy figures watched them leave. The largest one whispered in a raspy voice, "So, ya think they stand a chance, maties?"

The smallest scoffed and shuffled her multiple legs. "Please," she said. "They barely handled that scrumble. Ya think they can defeat the Carvanha Squad next? Or Kraken?"

Only the last of the trio remained silent, remembering every detail of the exhausted group of prisoners that had just passed. "We shouldn't underestimate them, Boomer," he said cautiously. "They might just be strong enough…"

The leader nodded. "Well said, Chet," he rasped. "Now, we must be off ourselves. I be thinkin' its close ta chow time."

Without another word, the trio scuttled off down the corridor and toward the mess hall, eager to get some food to fill their aching bellies.

-.-.-.-.-.

**I'm so sorry that this chapter wasn't up earlier. Between reading awesome fanfics, driving practice, and watching Pokemon BW episodes on the official website, I haven't been able to get this done as quickly. Again, I apologize.**

**Speaking of fanfics, I realize now that I could have picked a much less obvious name for Lancelot. But it's too late now, and anyway, Lancelot was my Gallade in Pokemon Platinum, right down to the moveset.**

**So, how will our heroes survive this new challenge? Will the weaker ones, such as Terra and Cliff, be up for such a life-threatening event? And what of the mysterious villains watching from the shadows?**

**General Fang: "Review! That's an order!"**

**Chapter Question #19: You're stuck in a broken elevator with one of the three "main" Abyssal Raiders. If you had to pick between El Nino, General Fang, and Lady Sapphire, who would you ****_least_**** prefer?**


	32. Release the Octillery!

**See what I did there?**

**Sorry this one was a bit late – I've started a new HTTYD fanfic called "Of Average Insanity". These chapters may or may not come slower than normal, we'll have to see.**

-.-.-.-.-.

Everyone looked up, startled, at the sudden sound of the cell door loudly creaking open. The Crawdaunt guard shoved Wyvern in and slammed the door just short of his tail. Behind him, a few Pokemon could see another guard forcing Fireclaw and Lancelot into their cell as well.

Pteryx instantly ran to his big brother's side. "Thank Arceus!" he exclaimed. "I'm glad ta see yer alright, Wyvern. I was sittin' in the dark, all in a tizzy 'cause I couldn't see how ya were doin'!" The Archeops gave him a weak smile and reached down to pat him on the shoulder.

"Was it bad?" squeaked Terra, almost too nervous to get the words out. Wyvern nodded and sat down heavily on the cave floor. "Fireclaw's badly burned and moves with a limp," he said gravely. "Lancelot and Cenric are worn out, but otherwise alright. I'm afraid to say that we're probably not goin' to survive long here."

There was a grim, heavy silence as he finished speaking. It was broken by Jowl, who asked, "But did Team Knights say anything about coming close to an escape plan?"

Before Wyvern could open his mouth again, the cell door creaked open again and a different guard stomped through. The Crawdaunt effortlessly reached in and plucked Jowl and Luke in his pincers. Both struggled vainly to get free.

"Oh no, another battle so soon?!" exclaimed Wyvern, scrambling to his feet as if to do something. But the door shut before he could grab the Eevee and Victini back. Okami rushed to the door and desperately yelled, "Stay alive!" She couldn't hear their faint reply as the guard lumbered off. Another guard stomped by with Arthur the Escavalier in tow.

"Well, at least they have one of Team Knights' knights with them," Gaby said, sounding as if she were trying to reassure herself. Wyvern crouched down beside her and put a gentle arm around her shoulders.

"Don't worry," the fossil Pokemon said gently. "I know you're worried about them, but as long as they stay together and fight together, they'll get through whatever foe is put against them."

The Kirlia didn't say anything, only looked forlornly at the cell door through which Luke and Jowl had been taken. _Be safe, Luke,_ she thought, hoping that her friend would come back to her, safe and sound.

-.-.-.-.-.

The trio was led into the enormous cavern that served as the Abyssal Raiders' arena. Luke, Arthur, and Jowl had never seen this place before, and stood in momentary amazement as they observed the ledges filled with chanting Water-types and the moonlight streaming down to reflect off of the shallow water. Luke hovered in order to avoid it, and Jowl was small enough that the water rose to lap at his underbelly.

The Escavalier prevented them from moving forward by holding out a lance in front of them. "Stop, my friends," he cautioned. "Allow me to handle the worst of what is to come. And then, Master Luke and Master Jowl, you will swoop in to take care of those left behind."

Luke and Jowl nodded, even as the door at the opposite end opened, and six Carvanha swam out. Holes dotting the sides of the arena gushed water at the flick of a lever, allowing the water level to rise doubly. Jowl whimpered as the water rapidly began to cover him, but Arthur swept him up with a lance, allowing him to avoid the sudden deluge. The Eevee clung tightly to the Bug-and-Steel-type's body, hanging on just behind his extravagant crest.

With the water at a comfortable depth, the six Carvanha shot forward, spreading out in order to surround them. Two of them leapt up to try and reach the hovering Luke while the other four surrounded Arthur and Jowl.

The battle rapidly descended into chaos. Luke fluttered around in the air, trying to avoid the Water Pulses his pursuers barraged him with. Arthur deftly dodged each Carvanha's attacks, barely even moving from his stationary position as he ducked under Ice Beams and jumped away from Crunches. Jowl dug his paws in more firmly to the Escavalier's shell as he became under threat of falling off and into the infested waters.

"Twineedle!" cried Arthur, quickly jabbing with his lances at a Carvanha whose fangs missed their mark. First one lance, then the other ran the poor fish through, and Arthur flung its lifeless body over his shoulder to land behind him with a splash. The other three quickly became more aggressive, striking and then retreating as he stabbed at them.

The two Carvanha who were targeting Luke were beginning to run out of stamina. Their Water Pulses grew farther and farther apart from each other as the fish began to lose the energy necessary to keep up the assault. Luke saw their exhaustion and took advantage of it. "Fire Blast!" he shouted, scorching them with a wave of fire. Although burnt, the Carvanha were definitely not out yet.

One of the savage fish had managed to get behind Arthur and was about to spring on him. Arthur was occupied with the other three, and didn't notice. However, just as the Carvanha leapt out of the water, Jowl noticed and pounced without thinking. He landed right on top of the Carvanha, his added weight causing it to plunge back into the water.

Clinging to the Carvanha's twin head fins, the Eevee shouted in surprise as it began to swim rapidly and erratically around, trying to buck him off of its back. It swam blindly without any goal in mind, so desperate was it to get Jowl off. He held on with all of his might even as the Carvanha spun like a top, ending up accomplishing nothing but to make itself dizzy.

Disoriented, it staggered into one of its fellow soldiers, making it break off its attack on Arthur. The Escavalier quickly assessed the situation even as he saw Jowl stubbornly holding onto the Carvanha. Faster than the eye could follow, he used another Twineedle attack to skewer not only the Carvanha that Jowl was riding, but also the one that had just attacked him. Jowl managed to shake off his dizziness and leapt once more onto Arthur's back as his Carvanha went belly up.

During this time, Luke managed to successfully defeat one of his pursuers with Fire Blast. The other nailed him with an Ice Beam, and he fell with a startled cry right into the water. Instantly, the remaining Carvanha zeroed in to finish him off.

However, it didn't get far as a lance zoomed in from nowhere and pierced through it. Arthur quickly scooped the sodden Victini up with the other lance. Doing so made Arthur momentarily vulnerable to the last Carvanha, who spat a Water Pulse straight at his back.

"Protect!" Luke cried the moment he noticed the incoming projectile. An instant later, Arthur, Jowl, and himself were safely shielded by a blue barrier that had sprung into existence. Arthur then struck the finishing blow with Poison Jab, ending the last Carvanha.

The crowd of Abyssal Raiders watching emitted a great cheer that swelled up into the arena. There were fewer sounds of disappointment this time around, although General Fang was one of them as he peered down at the six lifeless soldiers. _Next time El Nino asks to use my Carvanha Squad as gladiators, I'm saying no,_ he decided.

"_Excellente_! Very well done!" the Gyarados called to the victorious trio. Then he turned to a pair of guards and instructed, "Take those three back to the dungeon and see if you can _recolectar_ a few more prisoners. I think we have time for one more _lucha_." He then gestured to a Tentacool to lower the water level again.

The two Crawdaunt stomped down to the arena floor once most of the water had drained away, once again shallow enough to walk in. As the two of them escorted the prisoners back to the dungeon, El Nino began muttering to himself. "All of this fighting is making me _mucho hambre_," he mused. "I think it's time to bring out some of the snacks we – hmm? Where did they go?"

The Gyarados looked around for the morsels he had prepared for him and his comrades, but they were indeed nowhere to be seen. "Now that's quite odd," Neptune said, looking around as well and finding nothing. "If you wish, Master Nino, I could get some more. I won't be long."

El Nino nodded approvingly. "Oh, I'll come too~!" Lady Sapphire trilled. "The more the merrier, you know!" She floated down the steps leading away from their boxed-off ledge and toward one of the many exits dotting the sides of the arena, followed closely by Neptune.

When the cheering and chanting behind them had given way to serene silence, Neptune turned to his wife and said quietly, "I received the letter we've been expecting. They said that they know the defenses and passageways by heart now and will be arriving in just a few hours."

Sapphire grinned evilly. "Perfect. Only a little bit more time to endure being with these barbarians, and then this entire fortress will be ours." She giggled hysterically at the thought – not only would the Jellicent Kingdom have the eastern ocean under their rule, but the western one as well. The southern one would come next, and then they would be so powerful that even the Guardians would be forced to bow down to them.

Neptune mimicked her smile and gave a little chuckle himself in anticipation as the moved deeper into the fortress, with the darkness slowly swallowing them up until they had disappeared from view.

-.-.-.-.-.

The next battle in the Abyssal Arena didn't start that long after the last. Only a few minutes had gone by since Luke, Arthur, and Jowl had been returned to their cells when the next four were taken. This time, it was Pteryx, Cliff, Okami, and Gaby that were shoved into the arena and made to fight.

If Gaby had seen this massive cavern earlier, then she would have worried so much more for Luke. It had been bad enough that she had witnessed her friend venturing into the unknown like that, but now that she could see where he had been taken, she felt spared.

Even as she followed her friends into the center of the arena, the Kirlia's thoughts began to wander from her past anxiety down to greater depths. Pteryx and Wyvern were great friends, and the others were decent at best, but why did she care so much about Luke? _Is it because he is sweet and always willing to help me, because he is so blind to the enormity of my problems but volunteering anyway? _she wondered._ Is it because he's so naïve and innocent, and I only want to protect him? _Gaby shook her head hard from side to side, trying to dispel all of these deep, confusing thoughts and conflicting feelings.

She looked around at her teammates flanking her. Cliff and Okami were sticking to each others' sides, each of them seeming nervous. They covered that up by determinedly striking up battle-ready poses and taking deep breaths to calm themselves. Pteryx was looking pumped, hopping from side to side and swinging his feathered fists. His expression and his bandana gave him a fearsome appearance.

The arena door opened just then to reveal their opponent – a hulking Octillery that crawled out at a slow, menacing speed. One of his tentacles had a red ribbon attached to it. Gaby realized that she had heard of this Octillery from the other prisoners. He was called Kraken, one of the Abyssal Raiders' best warriors.

"This is my competition?" he bellowed incredulously. "I've seen bigger Joltik! Octazooka!" A huge blue ball of energy began charging in his mouth, which he suddenly fired at the group. The four scattered and prepared for the battle.

Kraken was slowly advancing farther into the arena. "See if you can surround him!" Okami called to the others, and they all gave nods of understanding. Kraken attacked with Bullet Seed next, rapid-firing each volley of seeds from his turret-like mouth. Gaby saw the movement from the corner of her eye even as she moved to flank the Octillery. She defended herself with Magical Leaf, and the leaves ended up cancelling out the seeds.

While Kraken was distracted with Gaby, Okami released Moonblast. The glowing orbs were launched from her ribbons, and they repeatedly slammed into the back of Kraken's head. However, his skull was thick, and the attacks were only an annoyance at best. The Sylveon's eyes widened as he turned to face her next, fury blazing in his eyes.

"Impudent wretch!" he seethed, drawing energy for his next attack. His mouth was glowing orange when he finished charging and blasted Okami with a Hyper Beam. The ray of power streaked toward her, and she only just managed to call up a Protect to shield herself. The barrier shattered, but Okami was safe.

"Take this, ya overgrown seafood dish! Dragonbreath!" Pteryx yelled, blasting Kraken with pink energy. It exploded when it hit Kraken's tentacle, causing him to howl in pain and draw the limb closer to him. The Octillery responded with an Octazooka that barreled toward the Archen. Cliff jumped in with a cry of "Flame Charge!" and rushed straight at the speeding energy blast.

Surrounded by fire, the Growlithe crashed into the energy in an attempt to destroy it. The Octazooka turned out to be too powerful, though, and although it was indeed stopped, the explosion flung Cliff away and onto the ground with a splash. He moaned as he struggled to get up, injured from the force of the explosion.

Kraken was always one to exploit a weakness, and attacked the downed Cliff with Bullet Seed. But Pteryx was unwilling to let that happen. "Quick Guard!" he squawked, zipping in between the two and conjuring a barrier. The first few seeds were blocked, but the others managed to shatter the weak shield and batter Pteryx.

At the sight of her friend being hurt like that, Gaby growled and took a chance. "Focus Blast!" she screamed, not really caring where it hit as long as it was somewhere on Kraken's body. The ball of power streaked forward, swerving at the last second and exploding against his tentacle.

As the Octillery retreated in pain, Pteryx managed to stagger to his feet. But the fear in his eyes made it clear that the Defeatist ability had activated. With two Pokemon badly hurt, it was up to Gaby and Okami to defeat Kraken and save them all.

_But can we?_ Gaby thought as Kraken crawled forward once more, livid and ready to blast them to smithereens. She forced herself not to think about that, instead focusing on the battle and trying to determine a possible strategy.

"If we can stun him enough to immobilize him, then we might be able to take him down," Okami whispered. Gaby nodded as, across the arena, Kraken began charging up another Hyper Beam. "Alright," she agreed. "I'll keep him busy, and you see about rallying Cliff and Pteryx."

Okami ran off to help their two comrades, and Gaby walked slowly and bravely forward, facing Kraken with amazing determination. Confusion entered his eyes – he'd never had an opponent walk toward him before. But he finished gathering power and fired his Hyper Beam anyway. The sizzling beam of energy swept water off to the side in its wake as it streaked toward the Kirlia.

Amazingly, she made no move to dodge. Gaby waited for the right moment, and it came when the beam was almost on top of her. "Double Team!" she cried, immediately vanishing and reappearing along with ten duplicates. Kraken, already dealing with the bout of weakness that came with using Hyper Beam, glanced around in bewilderment at the squad of Gabys.

The true Gaby and her duplicates swiftly surrounded the increasingly panicked Kraken, leaving him nowhere to run and nowhere to dodge her attacks. In eleven voices, the Gabys yelled, "Focus Blast!"

A huge cloud of smoke burst forth as the projectiles slammed into Kraken, although indeed, only one had any effect. Hurt, angry, and with smoke filling his lungs, the Octillery coughed and fired an Octazooka in the direction the effective blast had come from. The smoke cleared just as the ball of energy reached its target. But Gaby had already seen this coming – she had switched places with a duplicate, and the Octazooka simply phased through the illusion and hit the far wall.

_He's injured, but not immobilized,_ Gaby realized. _And that means it's time for my secret weapon._

The ten Gaby illusions slowly faded from view, and the Kirlia herself appeared directly in front of Kraken. His eyes widened in shock at the sudden surprise, and he was unable to look away for a couple of seconds. Gaby took this opportunity to strike with her secret weapon – Charm.

Even the hardened warrior couldn't help but smolder at Gaby, who became surrounded by cute pink hearts that danced in the air around her. She clasped her hands together and held them just below her chin as her pupils widened, her bottom lip quivered, and tears filled her eyes. Kraken was filled with guilt at the thought that he had even tried to hurt this adorable young Psychic-type.

Gaby's Charm attack rendered Kraken temporarily helpless, and it was during this hiatus that Okami managed to revive Cliff and get him ready for their next attack. Pteryx was off cowering in a corner, still feeling the effects of Defeatist. Gaby dashed over from the Octillery's hypnotized form and joined them, readying her next attack.

"Now's the time to strike!" cried Okami, several Moonblasts appearing at the tips of her ribbons. Gaby nodded silently and began to charge a Focus Blast. Cliff inhaled, long and deep.

By this time, Kraken had recovered and now turned to face them. But before he could even get an attack of his own ready, Cliff released his long breath in a great, howling Roar attack. The sound physically pushed Kraken back even as he tried to suction himself in place with his tentacles.

It was then that Okami and Gaby fired their Moonblast and Focus Blast, and the energy spheres were actually propelled forward by Cliff's mighty Roar. Kraken managed to get a foothold on the ground and released a Hyper Beam on a certain collision course with the trio's combination of moves.

However, the image of Gaby's Charm attack had imprinted itself in his mind, and as a result the Hyper Beam was at only half the power it should have been at. The Focus Blast, Moonblasts, and Roar tore through the beam and smashed into Kraken one by one. An explosion rocked the arena as smoke and water flew through the air.

When the smoke cleared, Kraken was lying on the ground in a heap. His breathing was strained and he was fighting to stay conscious. The Abyssal Raiders in the crowd were looking on with great excitement as they sensed the fight was coming to an unexpected end.

Cliff and Okami didn't move, but Gaby was filled with the thrill of combat. Her breath came fast and fierce as she stalked forward to end what she had started, anger and bloodlust fueling her muscles. Kraken dazedly looked up in time to see the Kirlia come to a stop right in front of him. He saw the inferno blazing in her eyes as she stared down at him, and he began to feel dread creep out from his heart and ensnare him.

"Please," he rasped. "Please…" Gaby shook her head, and a blue energy sphere began to build in her hands. "No," she replied. "You would not show me mercy if our positions were reversed."

Gaby's Focus Blast hit Kraken at close range, hitting him directly where his heart was positioned and killing him instantly.

The crowd went wild.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Kraken belonged to LifeTheNinetails. I RELEASED HIM!**

**The many battles in the Abyssal Arena are beginning to take their toll – Pteryx and Cliff are hurt, and Fireclaw can barely walk. They've all survived so far, but how much longer can that last?**

**And what about the Raiders themselves, who don't even notice that there are forces conspiring against them? Thanks to the efforts of our favorite frilly foes, El Nino and his gang are facing a clock rapidly counting down to their last moments.**

**Stay tuned, and wait for the next chapter!**

**El Nino: "****_Critica, por favor!_****"**

**Chapter Question #20: Which couple would you most like to see in this story? (Besides Gaby/Luke.)**


	33. Interlude 3 - Terra's Reason

**One of you readers asked me why and how Terra made the decision to comfort Wyvern back in Chapter 10. Well, here's the answer.**

-.-.-.-.-.

Before the earthquake that sunk Diamond Island and claimed the lives of all but four of its residents, indeed very shortly before it, Terra the Charmander had come home from a particularly good day. Her and her friend Cobalt had gone out on – well, not a _date_ per se, but a fun and friendly outing together.

That night, though, she recalled having a strange dream. It wasn't the first she'd had – it seemed that ever since she first met her cousin Cliff two years back, these dreams would appear randomly. And it seemed as if she could never remember them until some event caused her to remember.

The dream was just like the others – Terra found herself floating in some sort of abyss. It was as if Arceus had taken away the ground and everything on it, leaving nothing but sky, and then coloring the sky with constantly shifting red and purple hues. This strange place unnerved Terra, and because she could never remember it, it was always unnerving.

And then, with a short flash of light and a series of sparkles, a strange Pokemon faded into view. Terra squinted at the Pokemon, not recognizing her – indeed, it looked female even when its species was in question – and after a bit of thought, she suddenly recognized it. This Pokemon was Cresselia, the Legendary Psychic-type thought to represent the moon and grant sweet dreams.

Cresselia opened her mouth, but no sound came out. Terra realized that she was indeed speaking, but the words were too quiet for her to hear. "Speak up, please!" she said. "Could you please be a little louder, Miss Cresselia?"

This time, Cresselia raised her voice so that Terra could hear snatches of what she was saying. "_A friend… unexpected… help… journey… guide… path… destiny… world… Pokemon… your…_"

The Legendary seemed to be speaking through telepathy, as the words were forming themselves in Terra's head as Cresselia moved her mouth. "Um, I don't understand…" Terra said uncertainly. "What are you trying to tell me, Miss Cresselia?"

There was only silence. Terra was about to ask again, but Cresselia suddenly spoke again. There was nothing different about what she said, she only repeated, "_A friend… unexpected… help… journey… guide… path… destiny… world… Pokemon… your…_"

The Charmander shook her head, not comprehending any of it. "What do you mean? I don't understand this!" Her voice rose with frustration and her tail flame glowed a little brighter to show this, but Cresselia only shook her head sadly.

Terra dimly realized that this was all she was going to get from Cresselia. It was as if the Legendary physically couldn't speak any more or any louder. She guessed that entering other Pokemon's dreams had certain limitations on what you could say and at what times.

But now, the dream began to fade, and Cresselia grew farther away even as the strange skyscape began to stretch out. And just before Terra was sucked back into consciousness, she heard Cresselia's voice chime in her head one last time.

"_A friend will appear in an unexpected place. He will help on your journey and guide you on the path to your destiny. The world of Pokemon is depending on your courage…_"

-.-.-.-.-.

**Several Days Later**

Terra had instantly forgotten about the strange dream upon waking up. But now, stranded on Deepdark Island with her friend Cenric, it began to trickle back to her like a tiny stream. Cresselia's words echoed once more in her head as she peered over the cliff and saw the fossil Pokemon crouched on a rock on the beach.

Her home had been destroyed shortly after she had experienced the dream and Cresselia's odd words. Diamond Island was destroyed, with only her, Alphonse, and Evelyn surviving to tell the tale. When they had escaped, a storm had separated them, and Terra and Cenric had ended up washing ashore on Deepdark Island.

The wreck of a boat also seemed to have washed up on the island, along with a mysterious, frightening Pokemon that had chased them off upon waking up. But Terra, indeed losing her fear of the Pokemon and replacing it with curiosity, decided to walk back down to the beach and investigate. He was clearly a passenger of that boat, probably the only surviving one, and he might be in need of help.

However, her idle curiosity began to change to deep interest as she looked down upon the rocky coastline, observing the Pokemon sitting down on his rock and looking out over the calm, lapping waves. And then, all of a sudden, the words that Cresselia had spoken to her in the dream came back all at once.

"_A friend will appear in an unexpected place. He will help on your journey and guide you on the path to your destiny. The world of Pokemon is depending on your courage…_"

Terra now realized that she had been destined to be meet this fossil Pokemon. The huge, frightening, bird-like thing was her friend in an unexpected place. This relic of the past, which probably ate Pokemon like her for lunch, was a part of her destiny – although she couldn't imagine how or why. All she knew was that he was here to help.

"Now what's he doing?" Cenric asked, despite himself. Terra scratched her head and wondered aloud, "Maybe he's thinking?" The Buizel shook his head and said seriously, "No, that can't be it. My parents said that fossil Pokemon don't do much thinking. They act on instinct and aren't very bright."

The two of them continued walking down the slope of the canyon until they reached the beach again. Now they could see that the Pokemon had his head buried in his claws as if he had a headache. _Too much thinking?_ Terra asked herself.

That was when they heard the quiet noises coming from his covered-up head, and saw his feathery shoulders shaking.

He was _crying._

Despite her fear of the mysterious Pokemon, Terra hated seeing anyone be upset. She cautiously walked up to the rock he was sitting on until she was right next to it. "Um, sir… Are you alright?"

The Pokemon didn't answer right away, but flinched at the sound of her voice. At last, he muttered, "I'm alone here. I'm the only one that made it here. And there were five of us on that boat when the storm hit."

Terra realized it just then. "You were caught in that storm too?" she inquired, and he nodded. "I don't know where any of the others are," he said, voice still broken with emotion. "And my little brother was with us. He could be dead for all I know!"

Although he didn't cry, the Pokemon let out a long, weary sigh and slumped down on his rock. By now, Cenric had also walked up and was listening as well.

"Hey, it'll be fine," Terra said sweetly, patting the Pokemon's arm… or wing, or whatever it was. "All we need to do is get off of this island, and then we can find your friends!"

As you can see, Terra was an optimist.

"If we're going to be working together for the time being," the Pokemon said at last, "then we might as well get to know each other. My name's Wyvern."

The Charmander smiled inwardly. She was one step closer toward saving the world of Pokemon.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Yeah, that last part is a direct excerpt from Chapter 10. I just thought it would be nice to end it off there.**

**But of course, Terra can't save the world of Pokemon alone! There's Gaby and Cliff, who have found two of the Shards and need to get them back. And there are still three more Discoverers out there!**

**Drop a review and see you soon!**


	34. The Jellicent Kingdom Strikes! Part 1

**I just had an epiphany. If "Destined Explorers of Legend" was part of the canon PMD universe and had its own game – and that would be awesome – then you could say I've figured out who the final boss is.**

**The original idea for the final boss was a Beldum named Gladys (a cake to anyone who correctly guesses what I'm referencing), but I've decided to send her to the scrap heap and replace her with someone we already know well…**

-.-.-.-.-.

Shadepelt shaded her eyes, so to speak, and cursed quietly. She could see the telltale white wings of Smatt coming closer and closer to the _Windchaser_. If only she could form a telepathic connection with him or whatever the heck those Psychic-types did, and tell the Pelipper that now was not the time.

The crews of the Windchaser and Seasearcher were all a-bustle, cleaning and repairing and doing whatever else needed to be done. They were well on their way to Seaside Village – indeed, only another day or so and they'd reach it. But none of that mattered to Shadepelt right now.

What did matter was that Smatt wasn't supposed to be seen by anyone other than her, and here he came, coming in for a landing with most, if not all, of the crew.

Everyone looked up in surprise as the Pelipper landed on the deck with a final flutter of his wings. Shadepelt realized she'd have to do something, and fast. So she forced a smile and tried to make her voice sound pleasantly surprised and not frustrated.

"Smatt, what wonderful timing!" she said with false cheer, hoping it sounded genuine. He said nothing, noticing for the first time all of the Pokemon watching him and looking both nervous and angry with himself for not being more careful.

"Who is this?" Junpei asked jovially – he, at least, wasn't suspicious. "Name's Smatt," the Pelipper replied, touching his wing to his head in a salute. "Dunedust Desert, postal and delivery service, at your service."

Burner, however, did look suspicious. "So you and Shadepelt keep in constant contact?" he asked. "You deliver letters for her to the Dunedust Desert?" When the Moskeeteor stepped forward, Smatt suddenly grew extremely nervous. He fumbled with his beak for a response when Shadepelt stepped in to save his rear.

"Yes," she told Burner firmly. "He's been delivering letters between me and my family. I haven't been home in days, thanks to you lot. Can't a girl, even one once allied with the Life Stealers, at least tell her parents that she's not dead?"

Her surprisingly strong glare intimidated Burner. "Y-You make a good point," he finally muttered, slightly embarrassed. "I apologize, Smatt. I shouldn't have spoken so harshly."

The Pelipper waved off his apology. "Don't mention it," he said kindly. "Now, Shadepelt, I've got a letter here for you…" He reached into his huge beak with his wing, trying to find it. The Purrloin could clearly see that he was stalling for time.

At last, everyone lost interest and went back to their jobs around the ships, seeing for themselves that there was nothing to be alarmed about. When the last Pokemon had left, Smatt finally spat out a dripping wet envelope.

"Yuck," Shadepelt said with disgust. "Don't you worry about it, the envelope's waterproof," Smatt replied dismissively. "It's kind of a required thing, since we Pelipper do all of our mail-carrying with our mouths."

He went silent as Shadepelt tore open the envelope and read deeply. There wasn't much scribbled on the parchment:

"_Shadepelt,_

_I'm sending Rudy and Sylvester to tail you alongside Smatt. That way you'll lead us right to the Guardians. Keep a low profile and you shouldn't get caught._

_Niwri_"

Shadepelt frowned. If Rudy and Sylvester were coming along, then Niwri must be serious about finding the Guardians' isle. Although what would he do when he found out? Probably nothing good.

_Wait, why am I even thinking this?_ Shadepelt thought to herself. _I'm a Life Stealer. When we take down the Guardians, then no one will stand in our way. We'll be able to get the Shards and take over the world of Pokemon. Of course Niwri's intentions are good – just not for anyone else._

She stole a glance at Miranda, Amanita, and Sinestra, who were cleaning. The Purrloin watched as the Vaporeon grabbed the scruff of Sinestra's neck and held her up to a spot on the mast that she was having trouble reaching. Shadepelt didn't want to admit it, but she really liked the sweet, innocent Sinestra. Ever since she had saved Sinestra's life during the Abyssal Raider attack, the Eevee had started following her around like a little sister.

"Ahem," Smatt coughed, bringing her back to reality. Shadepelt shook her head to clear her confusing thoughts and said, "Alright, tell Niwri that everything's going well so far, and that we're taking a small detour before heading to the Guardians' isle."

The Pelipper saluted before rising into the air and wheeling away out over the ocean.

-.-.-.-.-.

Across the sea, the mood in the Abyssal Raiders' dungeon was very grim. Wyvern, Okami, Arthur, and Cenric had all been taken from their cells and made to fight again in the arena. Overhearing some of the guards muttering to each other, everyone knew that it was more of the Carvanha Squad that were their opponents, and apparently General Fang wasn't too happy about that.

Gaby was slumped in a corner with her head buried in her arms and her legs drawn up in front of her. She had been like that ever since she had been brought back from her fight against Kraken the Octillery. Ashamed of what she had done – everyone had gasped when they heard that she had killed the fierce warrior – she had retreated into this little corner and refused to come out. Everyone felt sorry and worried for her, but most of all was Luke.

When the prisoners' food had been brought that morning, it was Luke who had taken some to the Kirlia, begging her to come out of her shell and eat. He had gotten no reply. The Victini was so distressed that he couldn't eat, either. All of the other Pokemon now watched him sadly as he floated over to try again.

"Gaby, please…" Luke said softly, looking close to tears. "Please come out. You don't have to feel so ashamed of yourself."

As bitter as it was, he allowed himself to feel proud of his small victory as Gaby finally spoke to him. "Yes I do," she mumbled without raising her head. "What would Mother say if she saw me kill him?"

Luke considered his next words before floating down to sit beside her. "Gaby, you didn't have a choice," he told her. She raised her head and revealed her tear-streaked face. "I know," she croaked. "But I still did it. I killed a Pokemon in cold blood." She lowered her head again.

"And what would your mother think if he had killed you instead?" Luke asked, causing Gaby to pause. Seeing the opportunity to press on, Luke seized it and continued, "Sure, I know I wouldn't be proud of a girl who did what you did… but I'd be happier knowing that the girl killed to save her life instead of getting killed herself."

The Kirlia looked up once more and met his gaze. "I… guess you have a point…" she muttered, raising an arm to wipe the tears away from her eyes. Luke only smiled and put a tiny hand on her shoulder.

"Gaby, you don't know how thrilled I was when you came back safely," he said quietly. "I had been so worried that you would die out there. But when you came back and said that you killed that Octillery, I didn't care. All I cared about was that… was that you were safe and that he didn't get you instead."

He blushed from his own words even as Gaby sniffled and smiled. "You're amazing, Luke," she murmured, picking him up and hugging him gratefully. Luke froze, then blushed even harder and hugged her back.

When Gaby had let go, Luke floated off of her and took her hand. She smiled and let him pull her onto her feet, and they both went to join their friends sulking around the cell's entrance. "Look who's finally up and on her feet," Cliff remarked, wincing from his injuries sustained during his earlier battle.

"What're they gonna do once they run outta warriors for us ta fight?" Pteryx demanded. "Are we gonna hafta start fightin' each other?" At these harsh words, Terra shivered and drew her flaming tail closer around her.

"What if that actually happens?" the Charmander asked, letting out a small sneeze. She was clearly worried that she'd have to fight her friends. "Don't worry," Jowl muttered. "I'm pretty sure that once El Nino gets bored of us, he'll have that pink nutcase finish us off."

At the mention of the Gyarados' executioner, everyone seemed to tense. Even Lady Sapphire's _name_ tended to have that effect.

Terra shuddered and admitted timidly, "I think I'd rather have that than have to fight you guys." Jowl and Cliff looked at her, amazed that she'd say such a thing.

"It's flattering to know that you'd rather die than battle us in the arena," Luke said with a smile. Terra beamed back at him, and, just like the Victini, she seemed to gain strength from her bonds with her friends.

But just then, there was a huge crashing, clattering sound that echoed from across the tunnel. All of the Pokemon peered past the cell door in shock, and saw Lancelot and Fireclaw standing there, stepping over their battered cell door. Two Crawdaunt guards came to pacify them, but they were easily beaten by two strokes of Lancelot's Leaf Blade.

Fireclaw snorted and advanced forward, using Fire Spin to melt down the others' cell door. "What's going on?" Jowl asked, mildly startled by the commotion.

The molten and mangled door hit the ground with a strange noise – it was half-clang and half-splat. "We're busting you guys out of here," Fireclaw said with a grin, but it fell short as his injured leg gave a huge stab of pain. Lancelot's mouth tightened at the sight, but he forced himself to ignore it for now.

"Let's go, everyone," the Gallade said, motioning for them to come along. "I've figured out our escape plan. We're breaking out, picking up Wyvern and the others, and then getting out of this trench once and for all." Nodding, Fireclaw added, "And we're going to keep as quiet as possible so we don't alert the Abyssal Raiders."

Pteryx raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Yeah?" he challenged. "And how're we gonna do that when me brother and our friends are currently fightin' for their lives with the entire Raider population watchin' 'em?"

At these words, Fireclaw paled slightly. "Look, our plan isn't perfect," Lancelot said hesitantly, "but it's the only one we've got. If we wait for the others to come back, then we'll have to sneak our entire group past a trench swarming with Abyssal Raiders. This way, at least we have more of a chance with them all cooped up in that arena."

Gaby nodded, in full support of her father. "We have no choice but to try," she put in. Pteryx gave a reluctant sigh and replied, "Alright. I'm in." Everyone else gave nods of approval – they were all willing to escape or die trying.

"Let's move out," Fireclaw said, pointing down the corridor and toward the arena. "Those guards won't be out forever, and although they definitely don't have much in the strength department, I hate leaving a mess behind."

-.-.-.-.-.

Only three more Carvanha remained of the eight originally sent in to do battle with the prisoners. Wyvern and Arthur had easily disposed of the other five, with help from Cenric and Okami. Right now, the Archeops, Escavalier, Sylveon, and Buizel faced not only the snarling faces of their remaining foes, but also the excited crowd of Water-types.

In the boxed-off ledge, the moods were varied. El Nino was calm, observing the battlefield with mild interest. The two Frillish seemed to be in particularly good moods for some reason. General Fang, however, grew more and more bad-tempered as his Carvanha fell one by one to the four prisoners.

"Ready to end this, fellow knights?" asked Arthur, readying his lances with a flourish. "Ready as I'll ever be," Okami replied, while Cenric replied with a furious, determined nod. "Let's make these fishes sleep with the fishes," Wyvern smirked, earning exasperated glances from his teammates.

Within moments, it was all over. Arthur baited them while increasing his already-amazing defenses with Iron Defense, so that he could act as an effective shield for his comrades. Okami and Cenric dazed them with Moonblast and Razor Wind, and Wyvern dealt the finishing blow with Rock Slide, burying the three Carvanha under a literal ton of boulders.

But before the crowd could even take a breath to begin cheering, the door leading to the dungeons exploded outwards, sending rubble splashing into the shallow water. Lancelot, Pteryx, Fireclaw, Jowl, Terra, Cliff, Gaby, and Luke all rushed into the arena in single file, all of their eyes already locked on the four.

"Guys, it's time to go!" Terra called, earning a glare from Pteryx. He still thought that this plan was akin to announcing their departure by yelling into a megaphone.

"What?" Okami asked, dumbstruck by their sudden arrival. "We're escaping!" Terra called back, louder this time.

Pteryx sent another, fiercer glare her way. "You want ta do a song and dance while yer at it, lass?" he snapped. The crowd of Raiders was now completely silent, allowing every word to ring out loud and clear.

Suddenly, the group became aware of the presence of two others. "How in the name of Giratina's shadow did you break out of the dungeons?" General Fang asked, simultaneously angry and impressed. Lancelot just folded his arms and replied, "If I were you, I'd consider hiring stronger guards next time."

El Nino laughed, his ornate whiskers jingling softly. "Of course, of course," he chuckled. "I should have known that no cell would be enough to hold an _equipo de rescate_ of your _calibre_, O Mighty Lancelot."

Fireclaw snorted. "You flatter us," the Charmeleon growled. "A Fletchling would be able to get past those losers you stationed in that dungeon." Pteryx nodded in agreement and added for good measure, "Poisoned, confused, and with one talon tied behind its back!"

The Gyarados only grew more amused at their remarks. "Words, words, words," he laughed. "You're so good with words, when it's _acciones_ that matter. Now, I believe it is time to either _rendirse_ or be killed where you stand."

But then, General Fang broke in before Lancelot could give an answer. "Wait a second," he growled, perplexed. "Where did Sapphire and Neptune go?"

His words caused El Nino to look behind and around him, surprised. The Frillish couple was nowhere to be seen. "Where indeed?" asked El Nino, bewildered. The two Water-types looked around some more, completely confused, when they suddenly and simultaneously raised their heads to gaze up at their boxed ledge. Indeed, neither Sapphire nor Neptune looked like they had moved.

"What is the big idea?" El Nino frowned. "Why not join us in confronting this _patetico_ group? I thought you enjoyed a potential _lucha_." Adding to his point was General Fang, who growled, "This group is obviously begging to be ended, so why not join us in the ending?"

Sapphire's giggle echoed through the massive cavern. "You're right, that would be fun!" she agreed. Her eyes were bright with lunacy as she giggled again and added, "But why should Neptune and I dirty our tentacles, when we have allies of our own to do it for us?"

She swept an arm around the arena in a wide gesture that accompanied her perplexing words. As she did so, to the shock of the hundreds present, at least two hundred Tentacool, Tentacruel, and Frillish melted out of nowhere, rising up out of the water and completely surrounding the group, save for a few dozen feet on either side of the exit.

"El Nino!" a jovial voice bellowed out from nowhere. As the spectators watched, a pair of huge Jellicent materialized in front of them, floating just above the water. The blue one extended a tentacle in greeting and spoke again. "It's jolly good to finally meet you in person, my good sir. My wife and I have heard so many spiffing things about you from our dear daughter."

The Gyarados froze as the Jellicent King's words wound their way through his ears and into his mind, causing a frightening and seemingly obvious realization to slowly dawn on him. "So Lady Sapphire…"

Pearl floated forward and nodded understandingly. "So you finally see it," she said in her rich voice. "Our daughter and son-in-law did not join you on a whim – we heard that you were aiming to take over the four oceans by force, and Khan and I were rather insulted when we found out that you don't even have a smidgen of royal blood in your veins! So Neptune, bless his dear heart, suggested that he and Sapphire join your ranks and weaken you from the inside, allowing us to swoop in and wrest the western ocean from your sorry grasp."

All non-Jellicent Kingdom-allied ears that heard this were shocked to their cores when they heard this. Pteryx's beak was hanging open even as Terra tried to hide behind him. Wyvern and Team Knights looked grim as they digested what they had just heard. _I had never even heard of the Jellicent Kingdom before this day,_ Lancelot thought, and indeed they were all thinking something along those lines. _They must be cunning foes indeed if these Water-types have existed without the Guardians' knowledge. But no matter, they must be stopped._

But how? On the bright side, him and his comrades probably no longer had to worry about the Abyssal Raiders, not when this new group was done with them. But on the darker side, they'd only be replacing an already-powerful threat with a much more powerful one. However, none of this mattered to Lancelot. All that mattered was that he and his friends had to escape this place and warn the Guardians.

A high-pitched, girly titter reached all of their ears. "We heard you were smart, Nino dearest!" Lady Sapphire giggled, floating over with her husband to join the monarchs. "But we never had to worry, did we? You fell for my cover story like a blind Magikarp into a whirlpool!" Her giggle rose in volume until it had become an evil, maniacal cackle.

"Now, shall we settle this like proper gentlemen, old bean?" Khan proposed courteously. "I'm sure that there is a perfectly clean and bloodless solution to be found in this dire situation." El Nino only opened and closed his gaping jaws without making a sound, so shocked was he.

The Jellicent Queen was definitely proving herself to be Sapphire's mother – she had a malicious grin stretching her bright red lips farther and farther by the second. "But where's the fun in that, my king?" she asked Khan, dark laughter embedded deep in her voice.

On an invisible cue, the army of tentacled deep-dwellers attacked. They fired Shadow Balls, Poison Stings, Bubblebeams, and more in all directions, causing instant chaos. "ABYSSAL RAIDERS! DEFEND THE FORTRESS WITH YOUR LIVES!" General Fang roared, prompting the hundreds of Water-types to spring into action and fight back. In just another instant, the chaos had grown into a massive battle worthy of that between Groudon and Kyogre all those centuries ago.

El Nino, finally, overcame his shock. A look of deepest fury twisted his already monstrous face even as purple fire built up in his mouth. "_Furia del Dragon_!" he called, spitting the flames right at Khan, Pearl, Sapphire, and Neptune. The Dragon Rage attack hit powerfully, and all four of the Drifting Pokemon came through with bad burns.

The Gyarados didn't let up. "_Colmillo de Hielo_!" he roared, fangs freezing over as he lashed out with Ice Fang at Lady Sapphire. Khan darted in front of his daughter and took the hit with a grunt. In that instant, a ghostly aura infused El Nino's body, and his fangs instantly thawed.

"Cursed Body," Khan chuckled. "A gift from Arceus, that. Recover!" he added dramatically, and a sparkling light rapidly emanated from him. In mere seconds, all of the damage he had sustained had been healed.

Roaring in fury, El Nino launched a massive Hydro Pump at his foes – it was big enough and powerful enough to severely injure them, despite their Water-type affiliation. But a smug Pearl guarded her family by using herself as a shield, allowing the blast to strike her dead-on. When the water faded, she too had been completely healed, thanks to her Water Absorb ability.

Before El Nino could execute another futile attack, Khan and Pearl were upon him. The blue Jellicent used Hyper Beam, and the energy scorched the Gyarados whilst slamming him into the wall. His wife finished their assault with Psychic, using the mystical power to twist El Nino's head at an unnatural angle. His neck snapped like a twig.

The huge serpent crumpled to the floor, instantly dead. Lancelot, Wyvern, and the gang looked on in amazement and horror as Sapphire and Neptune left to terrorize the other Raiders, and Khan and Pearl advanced on General Fang, ready to end him as well.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Sigh… sorry that this was so late. I'm trying to squeeze in as much of every fanfic as possible before summer ends and school starts again… *Groans loudly and buries head in hands***

**Anyway… El Nino meets his maker, slain by none other than the monarchs of the Jellicent Kingdom themselves. Will the Raiders survive without their leader, and will our heroes escape their newest foes' grasp?**

**Part 2 coming soon!**

**Khan: "I humbly request that you review, good chaps!"**

**Chapter Question #21: I already mentioned that I've thought of the "final boss" of "Destined Explorers of Legend". Which Pokemon do you readers think would give our heroes a fitting final fight for the fanfic?**

**(Alliterations for the win.)**


	35. The Jellicent Kingdom Strikes! Part 2

**Part 2 is here at last, and now we get to see if our heroes escape the Abyssal Raiders' trench at last. But the warriors of the Jellicent Kingdom won't make it easy for them, for sure!**

**Also, I have started writing yet another fanfic, this one based on Pokemon B/W. I call it – "Black & White: Tale of a Legend" (yes, a lot of my story titles involve the word "legend").**

**I'd love it if you kind readers would take a look at it and give me some feedback!**

-.-.-.-.-.

The group of former Abyssal Raider prisoners – Team Knights, Wyvern, Cliff, Luke, Terra, Pteryx, Gaby, Okami, and Cenric – all stood with their backs to the exit, unable to escape as the chaos of battle rapidly surrounded them. Well, technically they still were prisoners to the Abyssal Raiders… but it didn't look like the Raiders would be in control for much longer.

The only thing standing between them and certain doom was a single Sharpedo, the battle-scarred General Fang. "Certain doom" took the form of two impressively large Jellicent, the monarchs of their kingdom. The warriors of the Jellicent Kingdom and the Abyssal Raiders were fighting viciously – the former trying to wrest the western ocean from the others' fins, and the latter desperately defending their chosen home.

"We're trapped!" Terra squealed, holding her tail high as the shallow water was whipped into a frenzy of tiny waves. "It's up to us to escape," Wyvern stated, pointing toward the exit. "No one's going to rescue us, and the Abyssal Raiders don't care for our safety. We must fight our way out of this trench ourselves."

But, to the group's eternal shock, General Fang turned around and spoke to them gruffly. "I beg to differ," he growled. "It might not seem like it, but I'm rooting for you sorry bunch to escape. The Jellicent Kingdom has done enough damage, and I will not allow them to claim any more innocent lives. I will hold the royals at bay, and you lot can escape with your lives."

For the second time in as many minutes, Pteryx's beak dropped open. "Th-that's… very nice of you," Luke stammered, clearly not expecting the General's support.

_Any more innocent lives?_ Gaby wondered, wide-eyed. _What does he mean by such words?_ She had newfound suspicions about the Sharpedo, and indeed expressed them in the form of a question. "Do you know these folk personally?" she asked.

General Fang opened his mouth to speak once more, but he was interrupted. "Time's up, old friend," Pearl said triumphantly, gliding slowly closer. "This time, you will not manage to scrape your way out of this one." Her and Khan advanced on the Sharpedo, who gritted his impressive array of teeth and braced for combat.

"He's not going to make it!" Okami exclaimed, clearly frightened. "Like Wyvern said, we're going to have to make our way past the Jellicent Kingdom warriors ourselves," Jowl said, trying to sound brave.

"Not so, me hearties!"

The unexpected voice caused everyone to look up in surprise, including the two Jellicent. They did so just in time to witness three figures plunging down from the ledge above. With splashes of varying sizes, the trio hit the ground in unison with a single, tremendous crash.

All three were Water-types, and clearly part of the Abyssal Raiders – none of them had tentacles, meaning they couldn't have been with the Jellicent Kingdom. The leader was a huge Kingler, bigger than any the group had ever seen. Dangling from the arm supporting his gigantic pincer was a loose bracelet adorned with fishhooks. He also wore an eyepatch over his left eye. The other eye had a wild, excited glint in it.

His partners were similar Pokemon. The one on the right was a Corphish, complete with the crown of horns and small lobster-like tail. His eyes were narrowed determinedly, and he snapped his claws as if he couldn't wait to clamp down on his prey. The one on the left, the smallest one, was an aqua-blue, shrimp-like Pokemon with long antennae and a huge right claw – a Clauncher. She, too, looked ready to rumble with whomever had the misfortune to get in her way.

"Avast, ye pitiful landlubbers!" the Kingler crowed, hefting his big claw. "We are Claw, Chet, an' Boomer – Team Crustacean, the Platinum-ranked rescue team o' the high seas! We've come ta get yer sorry hides outta this scurvy cavern, and ta smash down any slimy sea dog, be it Raider or tentacled dweller o' the deep, that gets in our way!"

-.-.-.-.-.

Far from the arena, two Pokemon entered the fortress of the Abyssal Raiders and instantly knew that something was wrong. Vizeli and Madeleine could see that the corridors were deserted – each and every one that they cautiously swam past.

"What's goin' on here?" the Floatzel whispered, unnerved by the perpetual silence that pervaded the tunnels. "The trench ain't never this quiet."

Madeleine peered down another empty hall and shuddered involuntarily. "I knew something was wrong when we came back and there were no guards swimming outside," she murmured, as the Krabby crouched on her back replenished her air bubble. "Did something happen to make everyone flee?"

All of a sudden, there was the sound of someone swimming up behind them. "Make way!" the voices suddenly called. The duo turned to see a contingent of Basculin rushing past, bubbles trailing from behind them, clearly in a rush to get somewhere.

"Excuse me!" Madeleine called after them. "What's going on here?" The Basculin didn't even turn around or stop swimming as one of them called faintly back, "The Jellicent Kingdom is attacking! Battle stations, everyone!"

In moments, the corridor was empty again. "Jellicent Kingdom…?" Vizeli said to herself, and then suddenly realized the truth, growling and grinding her teeth angrily. "I knew it! I knew that ditz was up to no good from the moment she arrived!"

The Absol looked grim even as they followed the path the Basculin had taken. "Lady Sapphire has been working against us this entire time," she muttered, everything coming together to make sense for her. "And if the Jellicent Kingdom is indeed stronger than the Abyssal Raiders… which is most likely the case, or else they never would have attacked… then I can…"

Her voice trailed off as an epiphany came to her. As fast as she was able, she swam off down a side corridor, heading for the dungeons and leaving Vizeli to travel alone the rest of the way.

"Off for her beloved parents, of course," the Floatzel grumped. "And who does she leave in the lurch without ever considering the consequences? Little ol' me." The Sea Weasel Pokemon continued to grumble to herself as she sped off through the underwater tunnel using her propeller-like tail.

Soon, she had reached an air pocket, and she walked the rest of the way toward the arena. Undoubtedly El Nino would be there, commanding his Raiders in order to hold fast against the rising threat. Maybe she could convince him to do something stupid so that she would be able to escape without getting her nails ruined again.

At the end of the corridor, Vizeli came to the door of the arena. But when she opened it, she could not believe her eyes – the battle was taking place right here in the arena! She splashed through the shallow water even as she witnessed the epic clash taking place before her. It was organized gang versus disciplined kingdom, and something told her that the Raiders were losing.

"Nope, fightin' ain't for me," she decided, already taking a step back away from the arena. "I can still get outta here and start a newer, better life somewhere else."

But she hadn't even turned around when a sickeningly sweet voice pierced through the din of mortal combat and into her ears. "Leaving so soon, Vizeli dear?"

The Floatzel froze and reluctantly turned around to face her worst enemy. It was none other than Lady Sapphire herself, with her husband Neptune following close behind her. The couple was floating just over the water – and more importantly, between Vizeli and her only escape.

"It's a shame, really," Sapphire sighed, bowing her head slightly. "I was just starting to warm up to you, you know. But then you go and abandon your teammates in order to succeed in your own cowardly escape! Now, what kind of person does that, hmm?"

Her innocent voice began to drive Vizeli over the edge. She was so sick of Sapphire – the lovely, polite, absolutely perfect little princess that had come out of the blue and robbed Vizeli of her dream of getting a high-ranking position amongst the Raiders. And now, her rival turned out to be a spy determined to destroy the organization that the Floatzel had given everything to join. It was as if the Frillish existed purely to ruin Vizeli's life.

It was _maddening_.

"Out of my way, you idiotic, air-headed traitor! Ice Punch!" Vizeli roared, lunging forth with her fist cloaked in freezing air. Neptune immediately shot between her and her target, setting up a Protect barrier that rendered her Ice Punch useless. "Traitor?" he smirked, his once-kind-and-calm face suffused with malicious excitement. "We were never on your side in the first place!"

Vizeli screamed something incomprehensible as she readied a Surf attack. Water drained away from the battlefield and pooled underneath her, forming a small whirlpool. Soon, it would change shape and rise behind her as a twenty-foot tall wave and crush her opponents without mercy.

At the sight of the attack, Sapphire smirked even as more water drained from the battlefield and began to swirl beneath her as well. "You know, Vizeli," the Frillish began, "pure water is indeed one of the purest substances in the world – but it is fragile and delicate as well, and therefore is _so_ easy to twist and taint into a force of destruction."

The Floatzel's Surf attack reformed, slowly rising higher into the air as Vizeli gave her a dark scowl. But Sapphire just grinned, sharp teeth twinkling even in the dim light as her own wave mimicked her opponent's. But this wave… this was no Surf attack. The water rising behind the princess was indeed tainted, a toxic mess that would contaminate Vizeli's Surf attack and destroy it.

"So let's see how you, a _pure_ Water-type, can handle a little pollution," Sapphire finished with a shrill cackle as she launched her Sludge Wave. Vizeli desperately sent her tidal wave forth, but the poisonous, grimy water was thicker and heavier, crashing down upon it and ruining its power. Vizeli couldn't even grab a breath as the toxic liquid smashed into her, almost immediately soaking into her fur and sucking away her strength.

Sapphire stood above her, her shadow falling upon the fallen Floatzel like a vengeful spirit. "Let's wrap this up, my dear friend," she whispered. "There are other innocent Pokemon I wish to kill today."

And with that, the demented Frillish lunged, her evil laughter blending with the ferocious noise of hundreds of other combatants – but still ringing perfectly clear in the ears of Vizeli, threatening to be the last unpleasant noise she ever heard.

-.-.-.-.-.

"Is that the best ye got?" Claw roared. "Lemme give ya a taste of me Crabhammer!" His giant pincer began to glow blue as he heaved it over his head and brought it down hard. Pearl squeaked and just managed to float out of the way before it hit. Claw's claw, so to speak, crashed down upon the ground with a tremendous *boom*, sending a shockwave forth that swept up the water covering the ground.

Team Crustacean and General Fang were in heated battle with Khan and Pearl while the prisoners looked for an escape. As it turned out, Sapphire and Neptune weren't the only infiltrators amongst the Abyssal Raiders – Team Crustacean had joined as spies for the Guardians. When they revealed that, General Fang had taken it surprisingly well, muttering something about impressive cover stories and deceptive behavior. Apparently the three crab-like Pokemon had proven to be effective and ruthless killers during their time with the Raiders, all for the sake of not getting caught.

"Let's see how you take my Energy Ball, good sir!" Khan proclaimed, throwing his tentacle back and forming a sphere of green energy. When it was fully charged, he hurled it like a bowling ball on a certain collision course with the Kingler's face.

But Boomer was quick to defend. "Sonicboom!" she cried, opening her big claw as wide as it was able. She snapped it shut, and the force of the snap caused an echoing sound wave to blast out from it. The two Jellicent held their ears futilely as the sound pierced through their minds. The Energy Ball met the Sonicboom and immediately exploded midair.

"Now Ancientpower!" shouted Chet, glowing with mystic energy. Rocks appeared from nowhere, levitated by Chet's power, and then hurled themselves at the king and queen. "Night Shade!" screamed Pearl, sending out ghostly waves that smashed the rocks to dust.

General Fang was hanging back in the fight. None of his attacks would be any good against Water-and-Ghost-types. But he did have a plan, one that he hoped Team Crustacean would pick up on once he executed it – it needed them to work.

"Scary Face!" he yelled, eyes glowing red. A huge illusion of the Sharpedo's face was then projected from him with a monstrous, hollow roar. The sight of that made even the Jellicent Kingdom monarchs scream and back away in fear.

The general wasn't disappointed, as Claw observed him with his beady eye and picked up on his plan. "Rock Tomb!" he shouted. His claw glowed with power as he smashed it on the ground – the wave of power that ensued caused huge boulders to rise up out of the ground around the Jellicent, trapping them. Chet called upon Ancientpower for good measure, burying them completely under the weight of his rocks.

"Are they still alive?" the Corphish asked. "If they are, which is likely, then those rocks won't hold them for long," General Fang growled. "Let's escape while we still can – I've seen enough of this carnage to know that the Abyssal Raiders will not survive."

Indeed, the four warriors looked around and saw Water-type Pokemon all around them, fighting and dying in futile protection of their home. The Jellicent Kingdom was far stronger than the Abyssal Raiders, it seemed.

"There's no escape!" Luke wailed, sticking close to his friends. "The exits are too far away, and blocked by fighting Pokemon! We'll be killed if we try to make our way around them!"

Claw and General Fang looked at each other and shared equally wide grins. "Then we be fightin' our way through 'em!" the Kingler chortled. "Come on! There be victory on the horizon!"

Lancelot stepped forth. "I will help you fight," he said. "I insist on doing my part to make sure everyone escapes safely." At these words, and the sight of his Guardian friend, Claw nodded in acknowledgement and approval.

"Stop the chibber-chabber and let's get movin', ya old fools!" Boomer yelled in her weird accent. "Sonicboom!" she added, releasing another potent shockwave that cleared a temporary path to the exit for them.

"Let's move!" General Fang roared, jetting forward with Team Crustacean close behind. The other Pokemon followed quickly, with Team Knights bringing up the rear. The rescue teams made sure the others got through safely, using their attacks to swat any Frillish, Tentacruel, or Tentacool away.

At first, it looked as if they might make it. No Pokemon that got in their way stood a chance against the powerful rescue teams. Okami, Gaby, Jowl, and the rest started to hope that they'd escape the Abyssal Arena safely, and that the rest of the fortress would be deserted.

But something just had to go wrong.

A Shadow Ball and Water Pulse streaked down from out of nowhere, striking the ground and setting off a huge explosion of water and darkness. The group stopped just short of the explosion, and as the smoke faded, out came the two beings responsible for this entire mess.

"You honestly thought that we'd forgotten you?" Lady Sapphire asked innocently. "Of course not! Remember what I said earlier? If you survived the arena, then I'd get to have the honor of killing you! And now that the Abyssal Raiders will soon be no more, you might as well die with them, don't you think?"

She giggled hysterically, the sound making the group shudder as one. Even Claw and General Fang were put off, but not for long. "You will pay dearly for this outrage, vile witch!" Arthur spat. "The Guardians will hear about this, and you will indeed be punished for your selfish actions!"

Now it was Sapphire who looked put off. "Selfish?" she protested. "Not at all, my dear! I only want what's best for my kingdom! And with the Abyssal Raiders running around, trying to conquer the oceans, how could I not act with my home as a potential target?"

Lancelot stepped forward and extended his blades. "You've proven yourself an effective liar," he stated, readying himself for combat. "You don't just want to protect your home – you want the four oceans for yourself."

Sapphire smiled at him. "Ooh, a smart one you are," she praised him. "There's no pulling the kelp over your eyes! But sadly, you're doomed to die… and you'll be spending your last moments with me, just as I planned it from the start." She fluttered her eyelids at the Gallade and let out a cute (yet still creepy) little giggle.

A Shadow Ball formed at the end of her tentacle. "So, any last words, handsome?" she asked. "And please don't use those overrated lines like 'go to the Distortion World' or 'good-bye, my dear family'. That gets very old, very quickly."

The Gallade smiled slightly. "How does 'Leaf Blade' sound?" he asked, right before lunging at her with a glowing green blade aimed to slash her. She held up her tentacle and blocked the deadly attack with her Shadow Ball, and it exploded violently. Lancelot hit the ground hard, and Sapphire was thrown against the wall with a pained gasp.

As the pink Frillish struggled to get up, Neptune's eyes blazed at the sight of his dear wife in such a condition. "Bad idea," he growled, charging up a Water Pulse attack. Lancelot got back up and readied another Leaf Blade. Meanwhile, Fireclaw stepped forward to do battle as well, wincing at his injury. His tail flame began glowing brightly as he prepared a Solarbeam.

No one moved for the next few seconds. Lancelot was breathing hard at the effort of maintaining his Leaf Blade, as well as from the previous explosion. Neptune was waiting for his enemy to make a move, holding his swirling sphere of water between his tentacles. In the background, Sapphire finally got up and stood strong once more. In the end, though, it wasn't Neptune, Sapphire, or Lancelot that made a move.

Fireclaw finished charging power and released his Solarbeam attack with a fierce roar, and the beam of white-hot light blasted out from his jaws. It was aimed straight at Lady Sapphire, who stared at it with wide, frightened eyes, unable to move in time in her condition. If the Solarbeam connected, her wounds would most likely be fatal.

But the Solarbeam never hit its target. Neptune saw it streaking directly toward his beloved Sapphire. He gave out a fierce yell that rivaled Fireclaw's previous battle cry, dodged Lancelot's thrust with his blade, rocketed toward Sapphire and tackled her out of the way, and ducked under the beam he had placed himself directly in the path of. The Solarbeam hit the wall above the exit instead, exploding with a dazzling flash of light and raining rubble down upon the battlefield.

Neptune, breath coming hard with fear and fury, glanced once at where Sapphire lay on the ground. She was breathing, thank Arceus. _But the same won't be said for the one who dared try to strike her down! _he roared inwardly, and threw his Water Pulse attack at Fireclaw with all his might, rage and vengeance fueling his muscles and giving him a huge boost of strength.

The Water Pulse hit in seconds, but to Fireclaw, it felt like an eternity. With his nasty leg injury, there was no way he'd be able to dodge the attack. Instead, he whispered a wish for Lancelot and Arthur to take care of things for him – for indeed, he knew that he would not be coming back home.

And then, he was enveloped completely in a roiling ball of suffocating liquid. He didn't struggle at all, instead flashing his friends in Team Knights a half-grin and giving them a thumbs-up. His tail flame sputtered, then went out. His life force was snuffed out with it.

The Water Pulse faded, and Fireclaw hit the wet ground with a splat. He didn't stir. He didn't even twitch.

Lancelot struck with Leaf Blade instantly, delivering a devastating downward blow to Neptune's head and knocking him to the ground. The blue Frillish hit the ground, out cold. The Gallade retracted his blade, even as he turned to look at his lifeless teammate lying on the ground in front of him, so helpless-looking that it made tears spring to his eyes.

"Let's go! This could be our only opportunity to escape!" Chet the Corphish yelled, snapping everyone out of the shocked spell they were under. The group made a beeline for the exit, and all of them made it through safely. The only one who stopped was Lancelot, giving Fireclaw once last glance before following his surviving friends.

They found themselves back in the dungeons. "Follow us, maties!" called Claw, scuttling down a side passage. "We'll find yeh some Krabby and then ye all can swim outta here and into the open sea!"

Each of the group could almost taste freedom as they ran after the Kingler. After Fireclaw's death, they were all more determined than ever to do, in his honor, what he hadn't managed to – escape with their lives.

None of them noticed the white blur that came out of nowhere and snatched Cenric, dragging him into the shadows.

-.-.-.-.-.

Sam and Blanca were crouched in their cell. They miserably wondered if they'd ever get out of this terrible place, and dismissed the thought immediately. As long as Madeleine remained a servant to the Abyssal Raiders, they would never escape. And if El Nino no longer had a use for Madeleine, he'd kill her, and they would certainly follow.

But then, the sound of multiple feet hitting the ground at a rapid pace caused them to look up. The Ninetales and Absol both looked up toward the cell door and saw not only a Crawdaunt guard, but Madeleine and two Krabby as well, standing in front of their cage. Cenric was unconscious and being carried on Madeleine's back.

"Mother, Father," Madeleine whispered to them. They stood up, then flinched back in shock when the Crawdaunt stomped forward and clamped his pincers around the prison bars. With a mighty wrench, he tore the door out and threw it aside with a loud clang.

And then Madeleine said the words that Sam and Blanca never thought they'd hear. Their daughter grinned at them and told them, "We're getting out of here."

-.-.-.-.-.

**Team Crustacean belongs to me, ye scurvy scallywags!**

**I enjoy writing Lady Sapphire's parts so much more now. All of her attacks seem to reflect her nature – Shadow Ball is a sphere of dark power, Night Shade is a torturous wave of psychic pain, and Sludge Wave is simply tainted.**

**Also, Boomer the Clauncher is based off of a little-known crustacean called a pistol shrimp. It actually kills its prey with shockwaves from its claw! It's about time they found their way into the Pokemon world!**

**If it turns out Clauncher can't learn Sonicboom, I'll kill myself.**

**So… Fireclaw is dead, and Vizeli certainly might be. General Fang has allied himself at least temporarily with our heroes, and the Jellicent Kingdom seems to have won this round… What will become of everyone now?**

**Claw: "Review or be forced ta walk the plank, me hearties!"**

**Chapter Question #22: Which character in the story do you want to die the most, and whom do you want to die the least?**


	36. Vulcana City

**Well, I've got something to say, readers.**

**I've decided that this fanfic is going to be a lot shorter than it was originally supposed to be. Instead of one big story, I'm going to be writing a "Destined Explorers of _" trilogy! And when the second one starts, OC submissions will be re-opened!**

**Look forward to it!**

**But right now, there's a crisis afoot! The Jellicent Kingdom has defeated the Abyssal Raiders and our heroes are on the run. What can happen now? Anything, that's what!**

-.-.-.-.-.

Vizeli never thought she'd get out alive.

When she had regained her consciousness, Lady Sapphire and Neptune had already moved onto other targets. They either thought her dead, or the Frillish had decided to hurt her for now and save the joy of actually killing her for later. Either way, Vizeli had managed to limp her way out of the trench and into the wide ocean beyond.

She broke the surface with an exhausted gasp, sucking in a deep mouthful of air to help recharge her tired limbs. Forcing her tail to work, she began to motor slowly forward, hoping to reach land before she died of exhaustion.

Her arms and legs felt like a Steelix subjected to Gravity. Her tail was more sluggish than a Slowpoke. Her head felt like a Rhydon had been dancing on it. The poison from the Sludge Wave had sucked away what felt like the last of her strength. It was a wonder she could move at all.

Instinctively knowing that she was slipping into unconsciousness again, Vizeli forced herself to swallow her pride and choke out the words she never thought she'd say. But this was no time to think about dignity, not when it was a matter of life and death.

"Help… me…"

-.-.-.-.-.

Cenric expected to wake up in Arceus' domain – that is if he expected to wake up at all. If not in Arceus' domain, then he would have liked to have woken up in a nice, cozy bed with his parents watching over him, telling him it had all been a dream.

The Buizel could have imagined a million places he could have regained his consciousness in. But for some reason, he indeed woke up in a place that never would have made the list.

On a small, flat raft, bobbing up and down on the waves in the middle of nowhere.

"Oh, good," came the voice. "You're awake." The voice was flat and emotionless, and its owner certainly didn't seem particularly happy to see him.

Cenric opened his eyes and sat up, immediately seeing who he was with. There was Sam and Blanca, looking at him concernedly. Then there was a Pokemon that he recognized as one of the Crawdaunt guards from the Abyssal Raiders' dungeons. Finally, there was the owner of the voice, indeed not looking very glad to be stuck with him in the middle of the ocean. It was his old friend, Madeleine.

"What happened?" Cenric asked her. "Where are my friends?"

Madeleine was reluctant to answer until her parents gave her stern glares. She sighed heavily and replied, "I saw you and your friends being dragged along with some of the Abyssal Raiders. Since we _used to be_ friends, I felt obligated to snatch you away and drag you along with us instead. You're welcome."

Her rudeness stung, but not as much as the fact that she'd openly admitted to kidnapping him. "They weren't Raiders," the Buizel responded. "It was Team Crustacean, and General Fang decided to help us escape from the Jellicent Kingdom because he knew that the Raiders were no more."

The Absol gave him a look that clearly stated she was skeptical of his explanation, but she didn't say anything more. Blanca carefully walked over and sat down beside him, affectionately starting to groom him with her tongue. Cenric just closed his eyes and let her. It was a big relief to finally be out in the open and not confined in a stagnant underwater cavern.

Sam suddenly raised his head and squinted into the distance, looking out at the water. "I see something over there," he stated, pointing with his paw at whatever it was he had seen. The Crawdaunt stood up to his full height and shaded his eyes with a pincer. "Yep, I can see it too," he said in a gravelly voice.

"You think it's someone in need of help?" Blanca asked worriedly. The Ninetails nodded and started paddling in that direction. "We might as well check it out," he said. "I can't stand to think that someone could be dying and we didn't do anything to try and help."

Everyone gave nods of agreement, and each Pokemon joined in to help Sam paddle their raft towards the mysterious object he had seen. It didn't take them long to catch sight of it as well.

"I see it!" Cenric said excitedly, paddling faster. Soon, the object was floating well within their sights. It indeed seemed to be a helpless Pokemon, bright orange in color, and looking really familiar to Cenric –

He gasped, suddenly recognizing the Pokemon. "It's Vizeli!" he said, pointing to the unconscious Floatzel. Madeleine looked surprised and her parents' expressions darkened.

"Should we help her?" Madeleine asked, raising a paw as if about to try and reach her. Sam and Blanca shook their heads. "Think of Cenric, dear," Blanca said scathingly. "Vizeli abandoned him, remember? Do we really want such a selfish Pokemon on board with us?"

The smaller Absol grew angry. "Who cares?" she snapped at her mother. "We're all floating towards who knows where, possibly about to die, and we really don't have the leisure of choosing our traveling companions. We need all the help we can get if we want to survive!"

Madeleine's outburst shocked and hurt Blanca. Before Sam could go to his wife's defense, Cenric spoke up. "… She's right," he said quietly. "We should help Vizeli."

All of the other Pokemon, including the Crawdaunt, looked at him in shock. Cenric took a deep breath and explained, "It's like Madeleine said. We need all the help we can get, and we can't be too choosy. And yes, she abandoned me, but she's still my mother and some little part of me still cares if she lives or dies. If we abandon Vizeli, then we're just as bad as her."

Sam and Blanca looked at him, their faces unreadable. Madeleine seemed surprised that Cenric had been so quick to agree with her. The Crawdaunt glanced from one Pokemon to another, wondering if they'd be helping the Floatzel or leaving her.

Finally, Blanca sighed, and gestured for them to paddle once more.

-.-.-.-.-.

Under the mighty, steaming shadow of the Hot Peak Volcano to the south of the Bughaven Forest, there lay the biggest city on the continent. Its name – Vulcana City. The bustling metropolis was so large, it shared direct trade routes with every single one of the Factions, from the large Earth and Diamond Factions to the more elusive Winter and Water Factions. Vulcana City itself was part of the Magma Faction.

Pokemon of all kinds congregated there for all sorts of business. There were multiple post offices, for instance, with Pelipper and Delibird flying from place to place and delivering letters and packages. There were at least three bazaars, each selling all kinds of wares from all over the Pokemon world. The main square was busier than all the main squares of all the towns on the continent combined. And of course, there were rescue teams all over, both unofficial ones and ones that served the Guardians directly.

Now just imagine seeing all of this after a lifetime of seeing nothing but trees and mountains.

Yep, the three wild Pokemon were pretty overwhelmed.

"This is Vulcana City?" Barn asked, trying to close his beak but failing miserably. "Vhat a place! Vladimir could never imagine such enormity!" the Noivern replied, crawling along behind him on all fours. Elf's beak was practically dragging on the ground.

The other Pokemon were somewhat less amazed. Adrianna had been here before long ago as part of a rescue team, but she had forgotten just how big the city was. Alphonse, Evelyn, and Lavender had never been here before, but they were used to the large towns they had grown up in. Team Exo visited regularly whenever they needed to get to the Guardians' secret island, and thus were completely unimpressed.

Goliath regarded the utter astonishment of the three wild Pokemon and chuckled. "I still REMEMBER my first time in the CITY," he assured them. "It was JUST as SHOCKING to me, BELIEVE me." He then buzzed up to the front of the group and said, "Well, Team EXO, you know what we HAVE to do, RIGHT?"

Tara nodded. "Yes, we have to find the rescue team headquarters in Vulcana City," she replied. Cheli added, "That's at the southeastern end of the city beside Sharpedo Gulf, if I remember correctly."

The Midjet nodded. "That's RIGHT!" he shouted. "We're going to need a BOAT in order to GET to the Guardians, and for THAT we have to VISIT the rescue team HEADQUARTERS here and get their PERMISSION! Any QUESTIONS?"

Alphonse raised a tentacle. "Yes, how are we going to find our way without getting lost?" He gestured to their immediate surroundings – even here on the outskirts it was pretty crowded.

"EASY!" Goliath yelled, making them all wince. An instant later, he was carrying two maps in his little claws.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, a bewildered Tranquill was staring at her talon in which she had once clutched a couple of maps.

"Take THIS!" Goliath said, tossing one to Alphonse. "Me and my COMRADES will take the OTHER. We'll MEET you at the ENTRANCE of the rescue team headquarters when we're FINISHED, CLEAR?"

Adrianna stepped forth. "I'll come with you," she said, shifting the once-again-sleeping Topaz in her arms. "Maybe I can help somehow, considering I used to be on a rescue team until recently."

Goliath nodded his approval and turned to Evelyn. "YOU'RE in CHARGE of these other FOLKS," he told her. "Just keep an EYE on them and make sure NONE OF THEM wander off. ESPECIALLY her," he added, pointing at Lavender.

Evelyn knew precisely why they didn't want the Venonat getting lost. She had explained to them that she was princess of the Bughaven Kingdom and that the new queen wanted her dead. Lavender had also asked them to call her 'Lola' whenever possible, so that other Pokemon wouldn't suspect her identity and tip off the Surskit guards hunting her.

She was a little paranoid, but after everything she'd been through, it was understandable.

"We'll keep them in line," Evelyn assured Goliath. "Right, Alphonse?" she added, earning a reluctant nod from her Tentacruel friend.

"EXCELLENT!" the tiny Bug-and-Flying-type boomed. "See you all at the rescue team HEADQUARTERS!" And with that, Team Exo and Adrianna walked off and disappeared into the thickening crowd.

"Alright then," Alphonse said, unfolding the map. "We've got quite a dang bit of walking to do if we want to meet them at the rescue team HQ. We might as well head down to Sharpedo Gulf and do a bit of sightseeing while we do so."

It was settled. Alphonse and Evelyn took the lead, poring over the map, while Barn, Elf, 'Lola', and Vladimir followed behind. Even the Venonat, who was used to buildings, couldn't help but gawk at the new sights that awaited them around every corner.

"Look over there!" she squeaked from her perch on Barn's head, pointing with a stubby forelimb. A gap in the crowd revealed a fruit stand operated by a cheerful-looking Cherrim.

"I've never even seen half of those Berries!" Barn said, fascinated, swiveling his head to keep looking at the shop as they passed. "That's because they come from all over the world," Lavender said matter-of-factly. "You wouldn't see all of those if you lived in one little forest off the beaten path."

The Noctowl nodded and paused to let Elf catch up. "It's strange how organized everything looks," the Hoothoot commented. "In the wild there's no trading or bartering. It's first come, first serve. Survival of the fittest."

Vladimir nodded wisely. "Indeed," he agreed. "All of this is new and exciting for Vladimir and friends." It was clear that he was fascinated at the amalgamation of Pokemon, big and small, strong and weak, coming together to create this vast community.

A Salamence flew overhead with a roar, ferrying smaller Pokemon on its back to another part of the city. A Venusaur lumbered past, clearing a path with its huge bulk and pulling a cart full of supplies behind it. A pair of Plusle and Minun danced on the side of the street while a Maractus played music and a Pichu collected money from the onlookers. Everywhere the wild Pokemon looked, there was something new to discover.

Double-checking to make sure that Alphonse and Evelyn were still in front of them – even as the Tentacruel and Dragonair glanced back at them for the same reason – the wild Pokemon doubled their pace as they found themselves falling behind. "It looks like it would be easy to get lost here," Barn observed.

They passed a building in which hot gusts of wind and smoke billowed out. In it, they could see an Aggron striking something with a huge hammer, before lifting it up and allowing it to glint in the sunlight. It was a magnificent-looking sword. The Aggron lumbered over to a round, spinning rock and began to sharpen it.

"Blacksmith," Vladimir told them, gesturing at the Rock-and-Steel-type and his clever craft. "Making things from metal is new technology, or so Vladimir hears. Although vhy Pokemon vould use veapons vhen ve have natural veapons of our own is beyond me."

Lavender nodded thoughtfully, still clutching Barn's head. But when she looked down, she blinked in astonishment at what she found – or rather, didn't find.

"Hey, where did Elf go?" she asked, bewildered.

-.-.-.-.-.

When the Hoothoot looked up from examining the cobblestones beneath her talons in utter fascination and found that she was alone (well, not alone when there were hundreds of others surrounding her, but you get the gist), she almost panicked.

But before she could, thankfully, Elf remembered a vital detail. Goliath had said to meet them at the rescue team HQ, whatever that was, near Sharpedo Gulf. Apparently, that was at the southeast end of the city, so all Elf had to do was figure out which direction was southeast and fly there. Simple.

It was then that her internal clock chimed, alerting her that it was noon. Elf cursed and instinctively looked up at the sun – it was at its highest point in the sky, meaning she couldn't use it to find southeast.

"Ugh, now what do I do?" Elf asked herself in dismay. She found a clear space in the middle of the road and hopped along dejectedly. Where the road went, she had no idea. But it definitely went somewhere, so that was something. At least Elf knew that she wasn't nowhere. "Yeah, big relief," she muttered.

She hadn't been hopping for long when she suddenly slammed into something. The Hoothoot tumbled to the ground and grunted as she bounced off of whatever it was. Dusting off her wings, she looked up and saw that she had bumped into a very large Pokemon.

Elf vaguely recognized the orange, winged beast as a Charizard. He looked down in bewilderment upon feeling her bounce off of his stomach and noticed her lying on the ground. He held out a clawed hand and asked, "Need help, kid?"

Hesitating, Elf allowed him to take her wing and pull him to her feet. "Thanks," she said, shaking herself. "Don't mention it," the Charizard said, waving it off. "You lost or something, kid?"

Again, Elf hesitated. Could she trust this huge Pokemon? But on the other talon, he might be able to help her. So she nodded and said, "Yes I am. I got separated from my friends. We were heading for the rescue team HQ."

The Charizard laughed. "What a coincidence!" he chuckled. "My pal Razor and I were heading there ourselves!"

Suddenly, a green mantis-like Pokemon appeared from out of the crowd and looked at the Charizard scathingly. "Now what are you blathering on about, Jules?" she asked. "You chatter more than a Chatot."

Jules grinned at the Scyther sheepishly before gesturing at Elf. "I was just explaining to this little tyke that we were heading to the rescue team HQ. Apparently her and her friends were heading there before she got lost."

The Scyther bent down to be on eye level with the little owl. "Is that right?" she said curiously. "If you'd like, Jules and I can take you there. My name's Razor, by the way. We're Team Blazers."

Elf looked up at Razor in awe. "You're a rescue team, too?" she asked in awe. Jules chuckled again and replied, "That's right. What's your deal, kiddo?"

Turning to face the Fire-and-Flying-type, the Hoothoot replied, "My name's Elf. I've been traveling with Team Exo and some of my other friends."

Razor and Jules both blinked, impressed. "You know Team Exo?" the Scyther asked. "Well, any friend of those legends is a friend of ours. Pleasure to meet you, Elf." Elf smiled and shook the tip of her blade.

"Well, we'd better get going," Jules said. "The Guardians are going to want to hear what we have to say, and we aren't going to find them by standing here and yammering."

Razor rolled her eyes and muttered "You should talk…" before following him down the crowded street, Elf hopping close behind. She had no intention of getting lost a second time.

-.-.-.-.-.

Meanwhile, Alphonse and Evelyn were busy studying their map, trying to figure out the best route to reach the rescue team headquarters. They had been scrutinizing the parchment for a while now, trying to make sense of it. The city was so large and complex, so unlike their original home on Diamond Island.

"OK, I think the headquarters are here," Alphonse mused, jabbing a tentacle at a spot on the map. Evelyn squinted and slowly replied, "Yes, I think so too. And that means we are… … … here." She pointed with her tail at another spot on the map.

Alphonse gazed at the map a while longer before nodding with satisfaction. "Alright then," he said, rolling up the paper. "If we're right, then we have a lot more ground to cover. Let's inform the others and" – suddenly, the Tentacruel was interrupted by a shout.

"Guys!" cried Barn, flapping up to them with Lavender and Vladimir close behind. "Elf somehow got separated from us!"

Evelyn's eyes grew wide. "What? When did this happen?" she asked, taking charge. Lavender gulped and squeaked, "We only noticed about a minute ago! We think she's lost!"

Alphonse started to wring his tentacles together worriedly. The little Hoothoot had started to grow on him, and he didn't really like to think of her lost in the vast urban jungle.

"Before anyvun panics, Vladimir has suggestion," the Noivern piped up. Evelyn nodded for him to go on, and he continued, "Ve all know vhere Team Exo has gone, yes? To rescue team headquarters at southeast end of city. Vladimir is villing to believe that Elf knows this as vell, and vill continue to head there in hopes of finding us. So all ve can do is continue on our vay and hope that ve cross paths with Elf there."

Slowly, Barn nodded. "He's making sense," the Noctowl agreed. "And if she doesn't arrive there, then… well, I'm sure we'll figure something out. Besides wandering all over the city looking for her, there's little else for us to do."

The Dragonair looked at each of them in turn before making her decision. "Alright, we'll do that," she said. "We have to, as Vladimir said, hope that Elf makes it to the rescue team headquarters without us."

With that agreed upon, the group of Pokemon continued toward their destination, weaving through the thick crowds that lined the streets and carefully making sure they were all together. They had no intention of losing yet another friend.

Across the street, a shady figure watched them go. Nodding to itself, it unfurled dark wings and took to the sky, keeping an eye on the group as it skimmed over the crowd.

-.-.-.-.-.

**I've always pictured Vulcana City to look like a combination of Tatooine and Loc Lac City from Monster Hunter 3.**

**Cenric and Vizeli have been rescued by Madeleine and her parents and are forced to put up with each other for now. But why does Madeleine, the Pokemon that Cenric has been searching for ages for, claim not to be friends with him?**

**And what of Elf and her new friends? Can they reunite with Barn and Co. in time to catch a boat to the Guardians' isle at last?**

**Chapter Question #23: Trip versus Paul! Who would win in a Pokemon battle? Who would win a pain-in-the-arse contest? Who would win the Total Jerk Wars?**

**Trip: "I'm not losing to someone from the Sinnoh region boonies."**

**Paul: "That kid's a total waste of my time."**

**Vote now! *Star Wars theme plays***


	37. The Tranquility Sets Sail

**Yes! Yes indeed! It's time for… the return of the ****_Tranquility_****!**

**Spoilers aside… I really have nothing else to say for the moment. Oh well, let's continue the story!**

-.-.-.-.-.

The chamber doors opened with a *bang*. Stellar screamed in shock and dropped his teacup on the ground. The fragile cup shattered and spilled tea all over the floor.

It was Team Sunburst that stood in the doorway again, shadowed by the light that spilled into the otherwise dimly-lit chamber. Grace the Espeon looked distraught, Rex the Tyranitar looked grim, and Basil the Serperior looked vaguely troubled. All three of them looked like they regretted coming here.

The Jirachi calmed down after taking a deep breath and looked at the Platinum-ranked rescue team with a slight glare in his eyes. "Honestly, have you three ever heard of 'knocking'?" he asked with a surprising amount of sarcasm.

Basil pointed with his tail toward Rex and stated flatly, "He suggested it."

Rex snarled and pointed accusingly at his teammate. "And you went along with it," he replied.

The serpent drew himself up to his full height. "Not exactly," he replied with dignity. "If you recall, I made a passionate disagreement regarding the matter just a few short minutes ago. Unless the blow to your skull that accompanied it addled your already smaller-than-average brain." He smirked smugly as Rex stomped toward him, looking ready to explode.

"Will you stop your bickering?" demanded Grace, pushing them apart with Psychic. "I've seen Zweilous that got along better than the two of you!" The two huge reptiles shot each other a glare before standing quietly behind their leader once more.

"What is this all about?" Stellar asked before they could get into another verbal conflict. "Whenever you guys barge in and argue amongst yourselves like this, there's usually a reason for it."

The Espeon started to bow, but checked herself and stopped. "My – ahem. Stellar, we have several pieces of bad news that deeply concern the Guardians, and require your knowledge."

The Jirachi sighed heavily. "Ugh, you're always the same," he grumbled. "You march in here and start arguing, and then say that you have bad news. Can't you ever open with a friendly hello or even a joke once in a while?"

Rex shrugged. "Sorry, sir," he rumbled. "I don't know any good jokes." The reply he got came from Basil, who muttered, "That's because you have no sense of humor."

The Tyranitar heard and whirled on his comrade again, but this time Grace was quicker. She used Psychic to lift the two of them off their feet and position them upside-down. "Can we go through with our report now?" Grace asked them, shaking them a little bit.

"I talk better on my proverbial feet," Basil shot back, his white face coloring pink.

"I talk better on my literal ones," Rex replied.

Sighing, Grace put them down gently before turning back to an, indeed, amused Stellar. "Never mind," he snickered. "You guys are pretty good comic relief."

Not sure how to take this remark, the three Pokemon shrugged. Grace took a deep breath and began her report. "Stellar, we have two pieces of bad news for you. Rex and Basil have heard rumors that trade between Arthropod City and Desert Outpost is down."

The Serperior slithered forward and nodded. "That is indeed the case," he confirmed grimly. "Of course, they're only rumors, but we can't take any chances considering how valuable the two Factions are. Not to mention the lives that could be lost. Anyway, and I only heard this today, there's another rumor circulating that it is the Life Stealers that are behind it."

Grace and Rex blinked in surprise. Stellar's eyes widened. "Alright, that is pretty bad news," he admitted. "What's the other part of your report?"

Team Sunburst exchanged glances, and the Jirachi king could immediately tell that it was not good.

Hesitantly, Grace opened her mouth to speak, but paused. She was unsure if the young king should hear this. But she steeled herself and tried to force the words out of her mouth. After all, Stellar _was _their king, and he could certainly make good decisions.

"To be honest, I'm not sure if relaying this to you is a good idea," the Espeon admitted. "It's… well, it's even worse than what we just told you."

Stellar gulped, but forced himself to be brave. "This doesn't have anything to do with the Shards, does it?" he asked timidly. "Have the Raiders or the Darkfeathers gotten their hands on any more of them?"

Grace smiled at the child's worry. "No," she said. "It isn't as bad as that. But it's close."

Screwing up his courage, Stellar motioned for her to go on.

She took a deep breath, and let the words out slowly. "Our rescue teams in the Town of Peace haven't come back," she said, hating herself for every syllable. "When we sent out Team Searchers and Team Ice Age to find out what had happened, we tried to expect the worst. But it was worse" – here she swallowed thickly – "than anything we could have imagined. D-Diamond Island has sunk beneath the western ocean."

There was immediate silence.

Stellar's eyes were as wide as a Patrat's. He just hung there in the air, motionless and speechless. He seemed too shocked to speak. Grace was about to ask if he was alright when she got her answer.

The Jirachi blasted into the _absolute worst_ panic attack they had ever seen.

It actually would have been hilarious if it wasn't so worrying. Stellar whirled around the room like a little yellow tornado, hysterical to the point of lunacy, talking to himself too quickly for any of Team Sunburst to comprehend and clutching his head in his hands. Although, they did pick up on phrases such as "end of the world", "we're all going to die", and "Arceus' domain".

"For the Distortion World's sake, calm down!" demanded Grace, grabbing hold of the Jirachi on his next pass and shaking him. Stellar immediately quieted down, although he still wrung his tiny hands together and muttered under his breath to himself. He looked far from calm.

Finally, Basil gently pushed Grace away from their panicking king with an _I-got-this_ look in his eye. He raised his tail and said sternly to the Legendary, "Snap. Out. Of. It."

On each word, he forcefully slapped Stellar across the face with his tail. The series of loud smacks echoed slightly in the chamber. The Serperior's gaze wasn't angry or annoyed, but it was hard and unforgiving. It was clear that he didn't want Stellar panicking now.

Stellar was so shocked by Basil's aggression that he stopped jabbering and looked up at him. Basil's harsh glare immediately silenced him. It was only when Stellar was completely subdued did the Grass-type back off.

"Don't you see, you three?" the Jirachi whispered nervously, dangerously close to going right back into panic mode. "The legend… it's coming true! Remember, the legend of the Shards?"

He pointed to the far wall, the wall that held the mural of the five Shards. "The natural disasters are starting to destroy the world of Pokemon," Stellar gulped, the finger that he held at the mural trembling slightly. "Diamond Island is only the beginning of the end."

Grace shook her head. "Stellar, you know better than to lose hope at a time like this," she reprimanded him. "The world of Pokemon is counting on us to find the Shards and bring the Legendaries out from their sleep of shadows. We need the Shards, and more importantly, we need the Discoverers. And we Guardians are counting on you to lead us!"

The Jirachi took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Rex and Basil glanced at each other hopefully.

"You're right," Stellar finally said. "Alright, there's nothing we can do about Diamond Island, unfortunately. How long ago did it start sinking?"

Rex spoke up in his gravelly voice. "Team Ice Age pinpointed it at a little over a week," he replied. "They think it was an earthquake that sunk it."

The King of the Guardians thought hard. "Okay," he began cautiously. "I hate to say it, but there's really nothing we can do at this moment. Any survivors would have either escaped the island or perished. And as for the Life Stealers interfering with the trade routes, send a rescue team over to the Desert Outpost to formulate a different route."

The members of Team Sunburst nodded as one. Stellar looked at them and ordered, "You three take what missions you can from the Bulletin Board in the Great Hollow. The tougher the better – there are Pokemon in need out there, and you're one of the only Platinum-ranked teams we have."

Grace nodded and led her teammates out, closing the doors quietly behind them. Once again cloaked in the dim light of his chamber, Stellar sank into his chair, buried his head in his hands, and groaned long and loud.

Sometimes being King wasn't all it was cracked up to be.

-.-.-.-.-.

On the other side of the continent, in the middle of the western ocean, sat the once-empty Deepdark Island. It was infamous for being largely uninhabited ever since the supposed extinction of its people, and thus hardly anyone ever walked upon its rocky shores.

However, as of a few minutes ago, a group of Pokemon lay upon the beach. They were lying on their backs, gasping for air and thanking Arceus for sweet, sweet land.

The first to sit up and speak was Claw. "Well, we managed ta put some distance between them sea scum and us, maties," he said, clambering to his feet. "But we gotta hurry now, sailors. The JellicentKingdom undoubtedly has control o'er the entire western ocean by now, and will be after us."

The rest of the Pokemon got onto their feet as well. "How the heck are we gonna do that?" Pteryx squawked. "We're stranded on an island with no way ta get off! We only managed ta swim all this way 'cause of them Krabby and General Fang!"

The Sharpedo himself was still in the water some distance from shore. Lancelot noticed and walked toward him until he was knee-deep in seawater.

"Thank you for helping us," he said honestly. The general snorted and said, "It was the least I could do. As I said earlier, the Jellicent Kingdom can't be allowed to take any more lives."

Lancelot nodded, although he still didn't quite understand General Fang's apparent familiarity with the kingdom. "Is this farewell?" he asked tentatively. "We could use your help to get off of this island as well."

The Water-and-Dark-type shook his head. "No," he said. "There are other Abyssal Raiders that have undoubtedly escaped the clutches of the Jellicent Kingdom. I must find them and band them together. Maybe then, if you indeed manage to get off of this island… maybe we can be allies once again, Guardian."

And with that, General Fang slipped under the surface and was gone.

The Gallade walked back over to where the rest of the group was at. "So the Raider left?" Cliff asked. "I guess he went back to the trench to help his friends, huh? I sure wish he'll decide to grab my Shard as well… we didn't manage to get it back…"

Arthur nodded slowly. "Indeed, my friend," the Escavalier agreed. "Undoubtedly, the Shard you once carried belongs to those dark demons of the sea now." He looked grim as he said this.

"Now how in the name of Arceus are we going to escape Deepdark Island?" Okami asked worriedly. "We don't have a boat, and we don't have the materials to build something as small as a raft!"

But everyone noticed Wyvern and Terra suddenly exchange wide grins. _They know something we don't, _Gaby realized, sticking close to her father. _Is there indeed a way to escape?_

"You guys are not going to believe this!" Terra said excitedly, waving her tail. Wyvern folded his wings across his chest and added, "There's a boat right here on this coast! When my friends and I were separated during a storm, I ended up here, alongside with the boat we traveled in!"

Gaby, Pteryx, and Luke gasped and looked at each other, amazement present in their eyes. "The _Tranquility_ is here with us?" Gaby asked, believing it too good to be true. "What luck!" Luke agreed, pumping his fist victoriously.

"Well, what're we waitin' for?" Boomer the Clauncher demanded loudly. "If there's a boat that needs a-fixin', look no farther than Team Crustacean, mates!"

Everyone was filled with new hope as Wyvern and Terra led them down the beach. Indeed, as they drew closer to their destination, each of them began to see the wreck of the _Tranquility_ sitting pitifully on the beach. Next to it was a pile of logs, both thick and thin, just as Wyvern and Terra had left it.

"This is just too good to be true!" Pteryx cawed, voicing Gaby's thoughts. "It's miraculous!" Jowl piled on. They all reached the boat, observing the terrible shape it was in and just what needed to be done to repair it.

"What're yeh waitin' for?" Claw boomed. "This ship ain't gonna fix herself! Let's get ta work! Now, Wyvern, jus' how did yeh crash the poor girl?"

Within moments, the beach was a-bustle with working Pokemon. Team Crustacean proved to be invaluable, as they knew watercraft like no other. They quickly took charge of the repairs, whether it was cutting logs with their claws or hammering the newly-made planks into the _Tranquility_'s hull with sharpened stones. They knew just what length to cut the wood and just what size of planks they'd need to patch up the hull.

Terra was trying to get her tail flame hot enough to burn through the branches still attached to one of the logs. But no matter how hard she tried, she could only manage to singe the bark. Finally, she gave up and slumped against the log, exhausted.

"Need some help, mate?" asked Boomer, scuttling up the log to peer down at the Charmander. She nodded and griped, "I just can't get my flame hot enough to burn through the branches."

Boomer nodded understandably. "Your flame still ain't hot enough to burn 'em off," she said. "But no worries. Just let me do the cuttin' and go help Chet an' Lancelot trim the sails."

Terra was momentarily confused – after all, she couldn't recall having found any material to use as a sail. But as she wandered over to where the Gallade and Corphish were working, she saw that they indeed had a huge sail with them.

"Where did you get that?" she asked in bewilderment. Lancelot laughed and held up a part of the cloth to show her. "When my team and I crashed on this island – it was before you did," he explained, "we managed to save the sail and stash it among the rocks. We were going to build a raft, but then the Abyssal Raiders came calling. Right now, we're trimming the cloth to fit the _Tranquility_'s new mast." He pointed down toward the boat, where Wyvern, Claw, and Arthur were working on the biggest of the logs.

Chet waved her over. "Come here," he told her. "I can't seem to cut through this knot. You think you could burn through it?"

Terra nodded. _Cloth's easier to burn than wood,_ she thought. _Better make sure I don't accidentally burn up the entire sail, though…_

-.-.-.-.-.

It took hours, but their work finally paid off. By the end of the day, the _Tranquility_ had been pushed into the water and successfully floated there without sinking. It was as if it had never been wrecked in the first place.

"Yeh've done yer mothers all proud," Claw said as he gazed out at the finished ship. "Tha' was some shipshape ship buildin' ye all did. Take it from an expert." He gestured to himself and chuckled modestly.

"We never coulda fixed this big beauty if it weren't for ya!" exclaimed Boomer. "Go on, pat yourselves on the back. That was mighty fine work ya did today."

Gaby smiled at the sight of her family's old boat, restored and ready to sail at last. "Shall we go then?" she asked.

"Aye aye!" said Claw, putting his smaller pincer around her shoulders. "Yeh heard the lass, didn't ye? Let us set sail fer the Guardians' isle!"

All of the Pokemon cheered. Wyvern flew to the deck of the Tranquility and set down the gangplank. It was large and sturdy enough for the others to cross one at a time, with Wyvern helping them all up on deck. When they were all accounted for, he put away the gangplank and found Gaby, Pteryx, and Luke standing next to him.

"All we need is Tortuga," Pteryx said with a grin. "Then the original gang'll be all here." Wyvern nodded and smiled back. He then bent down to Gaby's eye level and gestured at the wheel.

The Kirlia smiled at him gratefully and briefly hugged him. She then stepped behind the wheel and took a deep breath through her nose. _This is it,_ she thought. _I'm back on the Tranquility, ready to steer it to its next destination. And at last, that destination is the Guardians' secret isle._

The sun was setting as Jowl and Cliff hoisted the sails, allowing them to billow in the wind. Pteryx scuttled up the mast, and although it didn't have a Murkrow's nest, he seemed to be comfortable simply hanging onto it with his claws. Team Crustacean was at the bow, happy to have been of assistance in repairing this magnificent vessel. Lancelot simply smiled at the familiarity of his family's ship, the same ship his dear wife once sailed when she was on a rescue team.

In the hands of a good, loyal crew once more, the _Tranquility_ set sail once again.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Aye, the Tranquility is back, me hearties! But avast, the location of its destination lies shrouded in mystery, and our crew still must be wary of the aquatic devils that have seized control of the ocean!**

**Adventure and mystery await! So sit tight and wait for the next chapter!**

**Boomer: "It would be good of ya to review, mates."**

**Chapter Question #24: There seems to be a lot of evil or otherwise bad parents in this fanfic. I personally believe Darth Vader is the worst dad of all time, but can any of our villainous parents compare?**

**Vader: "Do not underestimate the dark side of the Force."**

**Vizeli: "You're kiddin' yourself, darlin'."**

**Khan: "I disagree completely, my good chap."**


	38. The Darkfeathers' Nasty Shock!

**What shock lies in store? What could the nefarious feathered flock of criminals be planning? The suspense is almost too much to take!**

**I sincerely apologize for not updating sooner – I have two other fanfics to write and videos to edit, and driving lessons aren't helping.**

-.-.-.-.-.

The rescue team headquarters, despite being such an important place and whose name brought to mind an image of a huge building, was actually rather average-sized. It stood on a cliff overlooking Sharpedo Gulf, in which the harbor was situated. A long ramp ran from the edge of the cliff and down its side before finally stopping at the small, sandy beach. Wooden docks stretched into the water, allowing the numerous ships to be accessed.

As for the rescue team HQ itself, it stood alone on its cliff, away from the crowded metropolis. A path led from Vulcana City to the lonely building, and rescue teams came and went down this path. Beside it was a stable for Ponyta and the carts they pulled. The rescue teams ranged from rookie teams from the unofficial guilds set up around the continent to the real-deal heroes from the isle of the Guardians.

It was the HQ's job to serve them all, and serve them it did. Tables were set up in the lobby for Pokemon to relax and swap tales, and a small bar sat in the corner from where they could order drinks. There was a Bulletin Board, on which various missions received from Pokemon in need all over were posted. Windows allowed sunlight to illuminate the otherwise dreary room, and a Swanna sat behind the counter at the back of the room. It was her job to give rescue teams the permission they needed to access the boats and Ponyta-drawn carts that would take them to their destinations.

At this hour, there wasn't much activity. A Grovyle and a Dusknoir sat at one of the tables, each with a drink in their hands, casually swapping stories of their adventures. Otherwise, it was empty. The Swanna gave a bored yawn and picked at an itchy spot on her wing with her beak.

Just then, four Pokemon came through and made their way straight to the counter. The talking pair of Pokemon looked over from their table and watched the newcomers with interest. They recognized Goliath, Chelicerae, and Tara from the heroic Team Exo, but the Gardevoir was someone unfamiliar.

"MARY!" yelled Goliath, shattering the silence of the room and making its three occupants jump out of their seats. "We need a BOAT!"

Tara grimaced. "Way to get the point across," she muttered as Team Exo, plus Adrianna and Topaz, made their way up to the counter. Goliath perched on it, and the Swanna eyed him as if he were an unappetizing morsel.

"How nice to see you again," she said coolly. "It's equally nice to see that your manners haven't improved since the last time we saw each other." Her sarcasm dripped thickly from her otherwise smooth voice.

"Love you too, Mary," Cheli said flatly. "So, you think you could get us a boat to the Guardians' isle?" His wings hummed gently, filling the room with the soft thrumming sound.

Mary gave him an indifferent glare. "Identification?" she asked pointedly. Without uttering another word, Cheli dropped his rescue team badge on the counter. Tara and Goliath added theirs as well (the Yanmega had to give the latter his badge, since he was clearly much too small to carry it around). Hesitantly, Adrianna dug her own old badge out from her treasure bag, placing it on the table for good measure.

"Hmm…" Mary muttered, scrutinizing the badges. At last, she sighed and pushed them back across the counter. "Everything seems to be in order at least. Although this one is no good," she added, pointing with a feather at Adrianna's badge. "It's expired, unfortunately. You'll have to get yourself a new one."

Adrianna shrugged as best as she could with her son in her arms. "Maybe someday," she said, almost to herself. The Water-and-Flying-type gave her a nod and waddled through the door behind her, yelling at someone to get a boat ready.

Just then, there was a commotion as three other Pokemon entered. All four Pokemon turned around and recognized the newcomers instantly. Being on rescue teams, or at least former rescue teams, they remembered the Charizard and Scyther as Jules and Razor of Team Blazers. The third, and littlest, Pokemon was someone they didn't expect to see.

"Elf!" Tara exclaimed, rushing over to the little Hoothoot. "What are you doing here, dear? Where is everyone else?"

Elf looked slightly ashamed as the Eevee worried over her. "I got lost," she admitted sourly. "The city's just so BIG! I wandered around until I bumped into these two, and they offered to take me here to meet up with you guys again." She waved a stubby wing at Team Blazers.

"So the kid wasn't kidding, so to speak," Jules chuckled, reaching down to ruffle Tara's fur. "Nice to see you again, Tara. You as well, Cheli and Goliath."

The Midjet beamed at them. "And RIGHT back AT you, Team BLAZERS!" he boomed. "How're the RESCUES going? I HEAR you've made it up to the GOLD RANK! CONGRATULATIONS!"

Razor winced at his huge voice. "Yes, yes, thank you," she muttered. "I'm still hoping to make it up to your level, though. I think you're the only Platinum-ranked Bug-types on the island." She had held the dream of surpassing Team Exo as the strongest and most renowned Bug-type Guardian.

But then, Jules suddenly blinked, having sighted Adrianna standing on the sidelines. "It can't be Adrianna, can it?" he asked, squinting at her. "Gosh, it's been ages! I haven't seen you since you quit" –

"It's so nice to see you again," Razor interrupted with a smile, holding up a scythe. Adrianna shifted Topaz into the crook of her arm as she stuck out her other arm in order to shake with Razor. The Scyther then bent down to gaze at the sleeping baby Ralts.

"Now I see why you left," she said with a grin. "He's positively adorable! I wouldn't be surprised if he grows into a handsome Gallade, just like your husband."

Adrianna blushed and admitted bashfully, "I'm hoping for that myself." The two women chuckled as the others looked on amusedly.

By now, Mary the Swanna had come back from ordering around whomever she was talking to and was sitting behind the counter once more. Team Blazers walked up to her and slammed their badges down on the countertop. "A boat to the Guardians' isle, if you will," Jules said roughly.

Mary muttered to herself before pushing the badges back toward their owners. She waddled back through the door and yelled for a second boat.

"Look's like we're going in the same direction," Razor said casually to Team Exo. "Small world, isn't it?"

Goliath chuckled, although the sound was inaudible. Still, he lurched around in the air with laughter. "It certainly SEEMS that WAY," he agreed. "WHY? What BUSINESS do you have with the GUARDIANS?" he added, curious.

Jules and Razor grew grim, glancing at each other hesitantly. "It's a rather… long story," Razor said uncomfortably. "Suffice it to say that it's a troubling matter that needs to be taken up with King Stellar as soon as possible." The other five Pokemon exchanged confused glances at this vague answer, but they wisely decided to stay silent.

"Say, why don't we go outside and wait for Alphonse and the others?" Cheli suggested, changing the subject. "It's rather stuffy in here and hard for me to get any air." Elf was about to object that it was cooler inside than outside, but then remembered that Bug-types didn't have lungs. Instead, they had these things called spiracles that weren't as advanced as lungs, meaning it was much more difficult for them to breathe in certain conditions. _Poor things,_ the owl Pokemon thought to herself.

They all went outside into the hot afternoon sun. The three insects – Cheli, Razor, and Goliath – all sighed in relief as they were able to intake more oxygen, and Jules looked more comfortable as well. However, Elf and Tara inwardly moaned as the heat started getting into their feathers and fur, and Adrianna tried shading Topaz so that he wouldn't get a stroke. Her white skin practically glowed, it was reflecting so much light.

"Why not go down to the docks?" Jules suggested. "We can wait for them to finish preparing our boats there." Everyone nodded and agreed that it was a good idea, so Team Blazers led them all to the walkway descending down the cliff-side.

To their eternal surprise, a few familiar figures were already waiting to greet them there. Jules and Razor were confused as to the identities of the group, but everyone else easily recognized them.

"Elf!" cried Barn, flapping his wings and rushing to greet her. "I was so worried about you," he said when he reached her, hugging the Hoothoot tightly.

"Yeah, same here!" agreed Lavender, giving Elf a little squeeze when Barn had put her down. "We had no idea where you ran off to, but we decided that you'd probably come here, so we continued on our way and went down here to the docks, and here you are!" She beamed happily and hugged her friend again. There were times when it seemed like the princess considered Elf a sister, despite her lack of compound eyes and antennae.

"We were pretty concerned about you," Alphonse put in gruffly, about to ruffle her feathers affectionately but thinking better of it. Instead, he gestured awkwardly and continued, "The city's no place for a kid to get lost."

Elf blushed and muttered an apology. "It is alright," Vladimir said, patting her roughly on the head. "Vladimir knows it vas just accident. Vhy, Vladimir could have gotten lost as easily as you."

Team Blazers looked at them blankly. "OH!" cried Goliath, startling everyone. "I completely FORGOT! Team BLAZERS, this is Barn, Alphonse, Evelyn, Vladimir, and L – AHEM, 'Lola'. They're with US."

At this, the duo's confused expressions cleared up. "Pleasure to meet you all," Razor said politely. "Yeah, what she said," Jules agreed, grinning in a friendly way.

But then, Lavender, who had been admiring the blue afternoon sky and watching the Wingull soar around on the thermals, spied something else. It stood out amongst the blue-and-white plumage of the seabirds, a black, ragged figure amidst the yonder. Seeming to sense her eyes upon it, the black bird Pokemon cawed and flew off, flapping its tattered wings.

Vladimir saw it as well. "Say, isn't that Murkrow ve saw elsevere in the city?" he asked. Evelyn squinted up at the retreating Flying-type and murmured, "I think so. Didn't we see the same one when we passed the post office?"

Lavender began to shake. "Is it following us?" she squeaked. "Maybe it's spying on us. Maybe it's a mercenary hired by that Masquerain to follow us and wait for the right moment to strike, watching from the shadows and waiting for the opportunity to sneak in and grab" –

"Please, La – 'Lola'!" Barn said, cutting off her worried rant. "You're safe as long as you're with us, remember?" The Venonat nodded, but didn't look convinced. She stuck close to the Noctowl as if she thought that he would shield her from any watching eyes.

"FUNNY," Goliath mused. "We, TOO, saw that same MURKROW while we were heading for the RESCUE TEAM headquarters. I think it IS following us."

Cheli nodded and adjusted his prosthetic, for it looked like it was about to fall off. "We'll keep our eyes on the sky from now on," he promised, ruffling Lavender's fur with one of his organic limbs.

"Now," Jules said, clapping his hands. "How about we do something while we wait for them to get those boats ready? Anyone up for a game of Go Corphish?" he drew out a deck of cards from his treasure bag.

"Me!" yelped Lavender. Alphonse shrugged and replied, "Why not?" Vladimir scratched his head and mused, "Vladimir does not see vhy not. But you vill teach Vladimir to play, yes?"

The Charizard nodded and grinned as everyone sat down in a circle on the sand, ready to play. _Nothing like a deck of cards to make time fly,_ he thought.

-.-.-.-.-.

Far from Vulcana City, perched on a mountainous cliff overlooking a lush forest, two Flying-types debated heavily over what to do. One was clad in jet-black, and the other in tawny browns. It was, of course, the Darkfeathers Mara and Iron Talon.

"OK, let's get our facts straight one more time," Mara said, pacing back and forth on the ledge. "Nigel and Bolt said that they wanted our Shard."

Iron Talon nodded, remembering that.

"They also offered us a piece of the continent to rule if we cooperated with their scheme," Mara went on, continuing to pace.

Iron Talon nodded once again. "But we don't know how much of that is truth," he said.

"I know," Mara said, stopping and looking out into the distance. "That's the problem. I'm not sure if we should go along with this or not."

Both of them thought for a while. "Let's see," the Honchkrow mused. "If we don't join, there's the possibility that the others will succeed and then crush us with the power they gain."

Her Pidgeot ally cocked his head. "Unless we can defeat them before that happens," he observed, and Mara was the one to nod in agreement this time. "True," she admitted, "but we don't know how strong the Malamar is in battle. If we go against him now, we could get crushed anyway. And there's no way we can defeat the Raiders, Stealers, and Marauders if they decide to join him."

There was a long stretch of silence. Finally, Iron Talon asked, "What about the Guardians? If they find out about this – and they will find out, no doubt about that – they'll do everything in their power to stop us."

Mara smirked to herself. "Yes, but once we find the location of their island, we can assemble a strike force and lay siege to it. Once they're gone, then that takes care of the main obstacle blocking our way forward." She turned to look at Iron Talon, looking serious despite her grin.

"Do you think that we could enlist the help of our allies in attacking the Guardians?" the Pidgeot asked.

The leader of the Darkfeathers thought hard about that. "I'm not quite certain of that yet," she conceded after a few seconds. "They might betray us – anyone we request help from could use the opportunity to get rid of us as well."

The two Flying-types were deeply troubled by the tight spot they were in. They certainly had a lot on their plates – the threat of Nigel and Bolt, as well that of the Guardians and even the other criminal gangs, seemed to loom over them and trap them in a corner. There was no telling what would happen to them if they made even the slightest false move.

"We don't have to think about all this for now," Mara suddenly said, breaking the heavy silence. "Why don't we focus on the less troubling problems we have at the moment? For example, I heard something about a reduction in our supplies from one of the Fatfetch'd just a day ago?"

Iron Talon sighed and replied, "Unfortunately, that is indeed true. We no longer have a sufficient amount of food to feed our soldiers. We're also lacking in a few other things as well. What do you suggest?"

The Honchkrow just snickered and jerked her head in a westerly direction. "Seaside Village is close, right?" she asked rhetorically. "Let's just take what we need from that poor excuse of a town. I hear they've got rather fine seafood," she added wistfully.

"What about hunting like we usually do in the valley?" Iron Talon suggested, but Mara shook her head. "One less village on the continent means more food, more water, and more everything, really, for everyone else," she said nonchalantly. "Besides, it'll be fun."

The Pidgeot just shrugged.

"It's settled then," Mara said with satisfaction. "Why don't we assemble a few of our soldiers and set out in a few hours? In the meantime, Iron Talon, you send out a couple of scouts and see if there are any rescue teams about."

This time, the Pidgeot saluted with his wing and prepared for takeoff. It was a short flight from here to the main entrance of the Darkfeather hideout. But before he could launch himself off of the ledge, a faint, suspicious sound grabbed their attention.

It was the sound of ragged wings chopping the air, a loud and harsh noise that got louder with every passing second. No Flying-type flew like that, Mara was fairly sure. Not even the worst fliers – Tropius and Delibird came to mind – had wingbeats that thunderous or that sloppy.

But they soon realized what was making the sound. A speck came to them against the blue sky, already beginning to change color as the sun sank lower toward the horizon. The speck grew larger, and now the two Darkfeathers could see that it was indeed a Flying-type, but one that seemed to limp through the air. They squinted, trying to make out what it was.

And then it became clear to them as the mysterious bird Pokemon got closer. Its loud, awkward wingbeats crashed in their ears, but they scarcely seemed to notice. Instead, their attention was focused entirely on the Pokemon before them, stopping its progress and hovering before them.

It looked awful. Thin scars crisscrossed its body, leaving bare patches where no feathers grew. Its flight feathers were withered and scorched, making the wind whistle loudly through them as it flapped constantly to keep up its hover. A ragged cloak billowed out behind it.

"Surprise!" it rasped – even its voice seemed scarred. Mara and Iron Talon all of a sudden realized who it was. They recognized him almost immediately.

Clawface.

"Thought you could leave… me for dead, did you?" the Fearow mercenary croaked. "And after all I did… to help you! I guess I made the… right decision when I told myself… I wouldn't join the Darkfeathers, if… this is how you treat your allies."

The Skarmory known as Herra came into view just then, hovering beside her partner and glaring at the two with undisguised hatred in her eyes. Mara and Iron Talon then realized that they were in very deep trouble.

Clawface's good eye blazed as he regarded the birds that had left him to die on Fire Isle. "Now, we'll settle this… once and for all! DRILL PECK!"

His damaged voice broke as he screamed out his attack. Whirling like a drill, Clawface dove toward Mara and Iron Talon, ready to get his revenge once and for all.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Clawface has survived! But how in the name of Arceus did he? Why did it take him this long to find the Darkfeathers? Does he still want the Shard, or just payback?**

**And it looks like the Darkfeathers themselves are trying to get out of their fix. Will they choose to join the criminal gangs and help Nigel and Bolt get control over the Legendary Pokemon, Xerneas and Yveltal?**

**The next chapter will come soon, hopefully. Review and look forward to it, readers!**

**Chapter Question #25: What do you think will happen in the sequel to this story?**


	39. Interlude 4 - Clawface's Recovery

**How in the Distortion World did Clawface recover from Tesla's deadly Electroweb? Now you'll know!**

-.-.-.-.-.

It was an entire day after the Darkfeathers had left Fire Isle when Clawface finally stirred.

Herra had dutifully watched over her partner in crime without taking a single break. She didn't even think of catching something to eat or pausing to preen her ironclad feathers. The Skarmory stood guard over Clawface for 24 hours at the least.

Why was she doing this? Why was she so convinced that the murderer was alive? Clawface was badly scarred and unmoving, with his feathers scorched and once soggy, rapidly drying in the baking heat of the sun. He had been hit with a super-effective Electroweb attack and then dunked in the ocean while the electricity was still in effect. It would be a miracle if he had survived.

So why did Herra stay?

Well, just after the Darkfeathers had left, Herra had seen the Fearow twitch a couple of times. This barely noticeable movement alone was enough to give her hope that he was alive. Her heart had leapt when she saw his talons bending ever so slightly, seemingly of their own accord.

That sight had given Herra renewed hope, motivation enough to encourage her to stay with him for another day. Restlessly, impatiently, she scanned his unmoving body for other signs of life, but without luck. If it weren't for the fact that she had seen him twitch like that, she would be convinced that Clawface hadn't survived.

But the Skarmory knew that there was a chance that he was alive. Even if it was the most miniscule of chances, it was enough to make her stay.

The second sign came after another few hours. With the sun high in the sky, and Herra trying to ignore her own discomfort, she blinked disbelievingly at the crumpled Flying-type. She thought she had seen him stir just a bit. That sight gave her another jolt of renewed hope, hope that her partner had survived.

And the movement turned out to be real, and not just a figment of her imagination, an hour later. Clawface moved again, his chest rising the tiniest bit as he drew a silent breath. Tears sprang to Herra's eyes as she witnessed this happen a second time, and then a third, and then a fourth.

Clawface was alive.

It wasn't until many hours later, when both day and night had passed and the sun was rising again above the surface of the water, when Clawface finally moved significantly. Herra had fallen into an exhausted sleep, sprawling out on the sand. But when the light of the rising sun woke her, the first thing she did was glance over to where the Fearow lay.

She couldn't believe her eyes. He was moving, struggling to get up. His eyes were half-open, fluttering madly as if he was desperately trying to stay awake. His talons moved helplessly, and his wings would occasionally rise an inch off the sand before falling uselessly to his sides again.

Herra didn't waste time giving in to the emotions welling inside her. Her partner needed help. As gently as she could, she rolled Clawface off of his back so he could get up more easily. Weakly, he tried again and again to stand up, but it was no use. Clawface's strength had simply evaporated. Every time he tried to hoist himself up with his wings, he collapsed, barely getting his chest off of the ground before hitting it again.

The Skarmory was patient. She spoke softly to him, encouraging him to try again every time he collapsed. Slowly, very slowly, Clawface got steadier and stronger. Herra, at one time, dared to hope that he had done it as he managed to get his talons underneath him and assume a standing position. But his legs crumpled the second he did so, causing him to collapse once again.

Finally, Clawface gave up. After the fifth time he managed to stand, only to fail to keep himself steady, he seemed to decide it was better not to exert himself. For a long time, he lay still, fully conscious yet unwilling to move.

Herra knew that with the sun at its current height, Clawface could potentially die from over-exposure to its heat and light in his condition. She had to get him off of the beach and into the shade of the trees.

So that's what she did. The Skarmory picked him up in her talons, making sure that she had a firm grip, and tried to fly the short distance away from the sand. But it wasn't easy – Clawface was nothing but dead weight. _If he can find the strength to stand up, despite his injuries, _Herra thought stubbornly, thrashing her wings, _then I can find the strength to carry him to safety._

It took a long time, but by the time Herra's wings and talons were aching badly from her attempts to move the Fearow, she had finally managed to get him underneath a large, broad-leaved tree. She found it much cooler in the shade than on the sand, so she allowed herself to fall exhaustedly to the ground and lay there for a minute, resting next to her fallen partner.

"H… H… Her… ra…"

The Skarmory sat up, startled at the unexpected voice. It was raspy and broken, sounding like bones being crushed underfoot. But despite that, she knew instinctively that the alien sound was coming from Clawface.

"Are you alright?" she asked quietly. "How are you feeling now?" Her own voice was concerned.

It was a while before Clawface could get the words out, moving his beak before finally forcing himself to speak. "E… Every… th… thing… h… hurts…"

Herra couldn't prevent the tears that came to her eyes at the sheer helplessness of the Fearow's voice. He didn't sound like a hardened criminal anymore, he sounded like a wounded child.

"Take it easy," she told him gently. "Save your strength for now. You're in no condition to exert yourself. Just rest."

Clawface didn't want to appear weak, but he couldn't help it. He simply didn't have the strength to take care of himself. So he did what Herra told him to do. He closed his eyes and rested.

For a long time after that, Clawface did nothing but lay there in the shade. Occasionally, he would wake up and croak for food or water. Herra would fly off at once and bring him a small cup of water – taken from the still-smoldering village on Fire Isle – or a freshly killed Bidoof. In the latter's case, she'd tear off little strips of meat off the dead rodent and feed him beak-to-beak.

It was a very long time before Clawface felt strong enough to attempt to stand up again. With the Skarmory's encouraging, he managed to make it after only a few tries. On the fourth try, he successfully got to his talons, wobbled for a second, and then gently collapsed on the ground again.

But that didn't deter him. He had gotten farther on that attempt than on the beach, meaning that he was indeed getting a little stronger. After a few more tries, Clawface began to feel as if he was getting the hang of it.

Finally, as the sun set and stars began to break out, he was perfectly able to stand again without falling, although he did shake a little. Herra beamed at him like a sculptor viewing her creation for the first time. "I never doubted you," she said proudly. "I knew you'd be up and on your feet again."

Clawface tentatively shuffled his talons in order to turn in her direction. "Herra," he croaked, his voice slightly better than when he had spoken her name the first time. "I… couldn't have done… this without you, my… friend."

She had lost count of how many times tears sprung to her eyes by now, but Herra could add one more mark to the tally. This time, though, the tears began to run down her beak and drip onto the earth beneath her.

_He called me "friend", _she thought joyfully. _I thought we were only partners in this life of crime we have built ourselves, but now… we're becoming something more. I can feel it._

The Fearow settled down to rest beside her. Herra looked down at him fondly and tried to blink her tears back.

Tomorrow, they'd be ready to fly. She could feel that, too.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Clawface has a soft side? Who knew, hmm?**

**Anyway, we have a few more chapters go before I cut this story off and start the sequel! Stay tuned for the next chapter, and please review in the meantime.**


	40. A Village by the Sea No More

**This'll be the very last time I introduce new characters to the story. They'll most likely play a bigger role in the sequel, but for now I'm not quite sure.**

**I'm sorry for those of you who submitted OCs and didn't get to see them in this fanfic, but I'll probably introduce them in the sequel!**

-.-.-.-.-.

High above Vulcana City, the steaming pinnacle of the Hot Peak Volcano belched smoke into the sky. The huge mountain had remained dormant for years, but recently, perhaps because of the natural disasters that were slowly becoming more frequent across the continent, the volcano had begun to show these strange and worrying signs of activity. If it erupted, it would end up burying VulcanaCity under several tons of lava and ash.

While the city bustled with activity, the slopes of the Hot Peak Volcano appeared to be deserted. However, there was indeed some movement on the precarious, rocky mountainside closest to Vulcana City. Three large Pokemon trudged up the volcano, slowly and steadily so as not to risk an accident. They were Team Hydroburn, the Silver-ranked rescue team.

The leader was Cannon the Blastoise, who had followed in his father's footsteps as an explorer. His other two teammates, Blaze the Blaziken and Kate the Meganium, were close behind him as they made their way up. The atmosphere around them was simultaneously determined and excited, for this was Team Hydroburn's first big mission as a rescue team, more important than saving innocent Pokemon or retrieving rare items.

"How much farther?" grunted Cannon, whose short legs weren't made for climbing and were thus aching badly. "It's been hours," Kate agreed softly, in similar pain.

Blaze sighed. "You two reptiles are seriously out of shape," he said scathingly, although a chuckle broke through his words. "My dad used to take me rock climbing when I was a Combusken. We climbed pebbles like this every day, just for the view."

Both Cannon and Kate glanced at him, the Blastoise with skepticism and the Meganium with innocent curiosity. Blaze held his serious expression for about two seconds before breaking out in a grin.

"The only thing worse than a fire-breathing bird is a fire-breathing bird with a sense of humor," Cannon said, smiling as well.

Kate suddenly stopped climbing due to the ache in her feet. "Can we take a rest?" she asked timidly. "We've been climbing for hours… and my feet hurt…"

Cannon would have argued that they should keep moving, if it wasn't the Meganium who made the request. He always did have a soft spot for her. "Alright then. Let's take a quick break – but not too quick, remember. We have a very important job for the Guardians to do, and I don't want to bungle it up."

The three Pokemon sat down on a flat ledge that was just big enough for them. They were about halfway up the Hot Peak Volcano, and their vantage point offered them a stunning view of the city far below them.

"I think it would be a good idea to take this time to review what our mission entails," Blaze stated seriously, crossing his legs in a lotus position. "After all, we all know that Cannon doesn't have the greatest memory."

Kate couldn't help but smile softly as the Blastoise roughly punched his partner in the shoulder. "Blaze makes a good point. It is a good idea," she put in before the hot-tempered Blaziken could retaliate.

"Fine, if only to prove I can remember some things," Cannon conceded. "Alright, Team Sunburst told us to find the Shard that's rumored to be in this mountain. How was that?" he added sarcastically to Blaze.

The huge hawk-like Pokemon facepalmed. "We're not supposed to specifically _find_ the Shard," he corrected exasperatedly. "We're here to confirm its existence. Remember, the Guardians have been convinced that it's hidden deep inside the Hot Peak Volcano for some time, but they're not able to prove it. That's why we're here."

Cannon rolled his eyes. "I was close enough," he said indignantly.

Kate agreed, "He's got the basic idea memorized." She was given an approving smile from the Blastoise, and she quickly looked away.

Blaze wisely said nothing. Instead, he averted his eyes up toward the smoking peak of the mountain. "The cave is supposed to be near the top of the volcano," he muttered. "We've barely gotten halfway there, and we started climbing almost two days ago!"

Shaking his head, Cannon started firing jets of water from his cannon to see how far down the mountain he could reach, just to pass the time. "We're not holding you back, are we, uber climber? How would you fight the wild Fire-types that undoubtedly live in the volcano without my Water-type moves to back you up?"

Kate followed Blaze's gaze up toward the pinnacle and shuddered. "It doesn't feel right," she murmured. "It feels like the mystery dungeon you two found me lost in before I joined your team." Indeed, the volcano seemed to have that unnatural vibe radiating from it, something that only a fully-evolved, pure Grass-type could detect.

"For the last time, mystery dungeons disappeared hundreds of years ago," Cannon objected. "It was just a particularly confusing and maze-like part of the Bughaven Forest, that's all."

Kate fixed him in an unusually hard stare. "Then how come it seemed completely different when we entered it on a rescue mission a year later? And how come Blaze ended up losing half of the items in his treasure bag when he ended up fainting a quarter of the way through?" she asked, her normally soft voice carrying a touch of irritation in it.

"All he's saying is that there haven't been any recorded instances of mystery dungeons in centuries," Blaze broke in, coming to his best friend's defense. Cannon gave him a nod, and Kate's annoyance rapidly faded. She always felt down when others made her seem incorrect.

Cannon noticed her becoming upset and suddenly got to his feet. "Why don't we keep climbing?" he suggested, starting up the slope again. "We've still got the whole rest of the afternoon to cover as much ground as we can! The sooner we reach our destination, the better!"

Blaze and Kate exchanged glances, then simply shrugged and followed their leader up the Hot Peak Volcano once more.

-.-.-.-.-.

A thick fog bank had rolled in by the time the Windchaser and Seasearcher had reached their destination. Junpei, whose eyes were already adapted for seeing through sandstorms, had taken his position in the Murkrow's nest. When he saw the edge of the coast suddenly melt out of the fog, he immediately flew down to gather his teammates.

"Alright, Sand Dragons!" he called, prompting everyone on deck to look over at him. Eugene and Terence gathered at the spot the Flygon landed upon, making sure their treasure bags had adequate supplies. This was something they did only out of habit, as their current mission wasn't the hardest.

"Now, we are approaching Seaside Village," Junpei began, pointing a claw at the coast – which was indeed visible to everyone else by now. "Let's briefly review our mission before we head out, as we always do."

Eugene nodded understandingly. "We've come here to pick up Lancelot's family and bring them to the Guardians' isle," he recited. Terence added, "And then we are to decide what to do next in terms of the missing half of the family, namely Lancelot himself and his daughter."

Junpei beamed. "Excellent! Glad to know you two are as on top of things as I am!" he enthused. "Now let's go, Team Sand Dragons! Onward!"

The hull of the Windchaser bumped against the shore, and the Seasearcher subsequently bumped against said boat. The three Dragon-and-Ground-types jumped off of the boat and were immediately swallowed by the fog.

"It's nice to see that Junpei is as enthusiastic as ever," Tesla remarked to her teammates. Burner and Drain nodded as they stared at the spot where the Platinum-ranked team had disappeared. "Let's just hope they finish their mission quickly, so we can go back home and plan ourselves a rescue mission," Drain hissed.

But just then, Junpei, Eugene, and Terence suddenly landed on the boat again with individual thuds. "That was quick," remarked Tortuga. "I never doubted them," Shadepelt added for good measure.

However, Burner noted the panicked expression that the trio shared. "Hang on," he cautioned the other Pokemon, and then turned to Junpei. "What happened? Is there something wrong?" he asked.

"You bet there's something wrong!" Eugene said. "Seaside Village has been demolished!"

Everyone watching exchanged shocked glances. "You're kidding," Miranda said, nervously swishing her tail. "How is that possible?"

Terence agitatedly thrashed his own tail. "We're telling you that it's true enough. We wouldn't lie about something this dire." He instinctively looked at Junpei, waiting for the leader of their team to make a decision.

He did after taking a second to stop himself from panicking and to think things through. "All of you had better come with us," he finally said, grimly. "We don't know what caused it, but we can't take any chances. There's safety in numbers."

Even the easygoing Tortuga was worried. Shadepelt and Sinestra even looked frightened.

"Come on," Burner said, already making his way off of the ship. "We might as well check this out for ourselves. Drain, take out the gangplank so that everyone can get off the boat."

The Pendrula obediently did so, angling the gangplank so that it made a nice, easy slope down to the shore. The Windchaser's crew all filed out one at a time and made their way onto the shore in single file. Some of them wobbled slightly, feeling unused to having steady ground beneath their feet after so much time at sea.

The fog made it hard to see very far in front of them, so the Pokemon proceeded with caution. They made sure to stick together so as not to get lost. Team Bloodsucker and Team Sand Dragons were at the head of the group, ready to combat any threat that may be lurking in the thick curtain of mist. Cobalt, Amanita, Shadepelt, Tortuga, Miranda, and Sinestra brought up the rear, clustering close to one another for both safety and emotional security.

After what felt like forever, the first ruined buildings began to melt out of the clouded wasteland they seemed to be trapped in. As the Pokemon walked further, more buildings slowly appeared. The combination of fog and ruins created an eerie atmosphere that kept everyone's mouths shut.

At last, they stopped when they reached the town square. The fog was lighter here, allowing them to see farther. Everything was grey and hazy as they looked around in all directions and saw nothing but smoldering ruins where shops and markets once stood. There was no sound at all, except for the wind sweeping across the nearby ocean and making it stir. The occasional wave crashed distantly against the shore.

But there were no locals in sight. It was completely deserted.

"This place was totaled," Cobalt observed, keeping his voice to a whisper.

"What could have done such a thing?" Amanita asked softly, huddling closer to Miranda. Sinestra, in turn, shivered and pressed against the older Eevee.

Suddenly, Tesla called out quietly. Her clicking voice was easily heard across the square. "Come take a look at this, everyone," she said. "I believe I have found something of importance!"

What she had found indeed raised everyone's suspicions as they clustered around to see for themselves. Some sand had spilled onto the ground from a nearby bunch of ripped-up sandbags. Clearly imprinted in the sand were three-toed footprints. A single black feather stuck out from the sand, and was suddenly blown out and across the square by a gust of wind.

Tortuga suddenly pointed with a flipper to something a short distance away. "Look, there are some more over there!" he informed them. Indeed, there were a couple more feathers trapped under some fallen wood, shifting and shuddering as the wind futilely tried to blow them away.

"This doesn't mean what I think it does, does it?" Eugene asked, gnashing his teeth angrily. It sounded like he didn't want the question answered. The footprints and feathers spoke plainly for themselves.

"It was the Darkfeathers," Burner buzzed furiously, his abdomen glowing brighter as it heated up in anger. "It was the Darkfeather gang that destroyed Seaside Village!"

Sinestra timidly stepped forward and asked him, "D-Did… did everyone escape?" She looked up at the Fire-and-Flying-type with frightened eyes.

It was Terence who answered her. The Terralyrk sighed and turned his gaze toward the fog-covered sky, as if looking for the telltale dark shape of a Darkfeather soaring through the mist. "I wish I could give you a definite answer," he replied sadly. "But I'm afraid that I can't say for sure…"

-.-.-.-.-.

On the other side of Seaside Village, near the northern coast, another ship faded out from the ever-thickening fog. The crew was unnerved by the sudden cloud that almost seemed to have sprung out from nowhere, for it only magnified the danger that they were already in. The waters of the western ocean were more dangerous than they ever were with the Jellicent Kingdom ruling them, and the fog would hide any foes that stalked them.

Needless to say, everyone was surprised and confused as to why Team Crustacean would stop the ship while they were in such peril. It was Pteryx who voiced their concerns, of course. "Why'd we stop?" he squawked loudly. "Them jellyfish'll be on our tails in no time flat if we don't keep movin'!"

It was Boomer who settled him down. "No worries, mate," she cautioned him. "Claw's always gotta reason to justify his actions." The Clauncher was indeed right, as Claw and Chet soon gathered up the Pokemon and began to explain themselves.

"Listen up, me hearties!" the Kingler boomed. "I know we're in dangerous waters, but we ain't gonna last two days out on the high seas without supplies! We've laid anchor in Seaside Village in order ta get them supplies – but the Jellicent Kingdom is in command of these waters now, and there ain't no tellin' what they'll do if they find us!"

Chet picked up where Claw stopped. "It's going to be a long journey to the Guardians' isle, so we'll need a lot of food and water. We're all going ashore into Seaside Village to get these supplies, but we're going to have to leave within the hour. We can't risk having the JellicentKingdom find us, and we'll only be safe from them when we cross into the southern ocean."

Pteryx was still not convinced. "Yeah? An' how're we gonna get these supplies without any P? We're broke an' helpless!"

Claw chuckled and hefted a heavy-looking sack out from behind him with his big pincer. "Swiped this from El Nino himself, I did," he guffawed. "I'm tellin' ye, workin' fer the Abyssal Raiders warn't all doom an' gloom. There be some perks to bein' a criminal – or at least actin' like one."

With effort, Lancelot lifted the sack over his shoulder and walked toward the edge of the boat. "Now come along, all of you," he ordered. "We're safer if we stick together, and I don't want anyone being left alone on the boat if the Jellicent Kingdom finds it."

At this mental imagery, even the most skeptical Pokemon decided that it wouldn't be worth it to argue. Lancelot and Arthur put down the gangplank and left the _Tranquility_ first, and Team Crustacean stayed behind while Gaby, Luke, Okami, Jowl, Cliff, Terra, Wyvern, and Pteryx followed them. The three Water-types went last, checking behind them constantly to see if they were being tailed.

Any hopes that Seaside Village provided some protection, or indeed was still as bustling and active as ever, were immediately squashed upon seeing the first of the ruins. It was a demolished shop, looking relatively intact but still sporting some nasty damage. An entire wall had been torn down, and behind the counter, various items could be seen strewn around the floor.

Everyone stopped dead at the sight of the building, standing mostly alone in the fog. The shadows of other buildings could be seen beside and behind it, which looked in even worse condition even through the thick cloud. But there were two Pokemon who didn't notice that – their focus was riveted on the shop in front of them.

"What the Distortion World happened?" Wyvern breathed, stepping up to the counter and placing a claw on it. He reached up and touched the familiar little bell dangling from the roof, and it made a cheerful tinkling sound that soon faded into nothingness. As he watched, the string holding the bell up snapped, and it dropped behind the counter and out of sight.

"Our home!" squawked Pteryx. "It's been destroyed! Our… h-home…" He trailed off as his normally loud and demanding voice cracked. His jolly, energetic attitude evaporated, leaving fear and insecurity behind in its place. None of the Pokemon – even Luke, who knew him and his brother well – could ever recall seeing Pteryx this upset.

The Archen sniffled, something no one was expecting to hear. Wyvern picked him up and held him close, patting him gently on the back. There was only silence as Pteryx buried his head in his older brother's feathers and sniffled again, louder this time.

It was as if all hope had drained out of him now that he knew that his home no longer existed.

The group kept moving while the two fossil Pokemon lagged behind. The deeper into Seaside Village they walked, the more destruction they found. Houses, markets, warehouses, and everything else had been completely wrecked. Every time a new building melted out of the thinning fog, the group's mood became grimmer.

"Did a natural disaster do this?" Okami asked, keeping her voice down. "I-I don't know…" Terra answered nervously, shrinking back behind Arthur. Her face had turned very pale, and her tail flame barely flickered.

Gaby and Luke had joined Wyvern and Pteryx at the back of the group. All four of them were dead silent, each enveloped in their own personal worrisome thoughts. Gaby's were perhaps the most worrisome of all.

_Where is Mother and Topaz?_ she asked herself. The question circled around her mind like a hungry Mandibuzz. _Are they alright? Did they escape the destruction? Or are they…?_

A quiet sob unwillingly escaped her mouth, and Luke heard. He instantly knew what she must be thinking, and his heart went out to her. She looked just like she had on the Windchaser – timid and insecure. The Victini floated alongside her and gently took her hand as his wide blue eyes met her watery crimson ones. He tried to make himself look reassuring, but he knew that he looked just as worried as she did.

Gaby, however, appreciated his concern, and smiled at him.

Suddenly, Lancelot and Arthur stopped walking and readied their weapons. "There's something up ahead," the Gallade whispered, extending his swords.

"Follow us cautiously, noble friends," Arthur added, lances held in front of him. "What we see through the fog may not be an ally, but an enemy."

Indeed, as the rest of the Pokemon squinted through the mist, a shadowy figure could be seen advancing towards them. It was large and undoubtedly powerful, moving slowly so as not to startle them – or in order to sneak up on them.

Everyone readied for battle. The monstrous figure took the last few steps through the fog and slowly revealed itself to be –

"Tesla?!" blurted Luke, too shocked to stay silent.

The Conductula was just as shocked to see all of these Pokemon in front of her, many of which she knew, or thought she knew, to be prisoners of the Abyssal Raiders. She had seen Luke, Pteryx, and the rest taken before her very eyes! She never even dreamed of finding them here before her, all safe and sound!

Her multiple eyes flicked from one Pokemon to the other. Team Knights had gone missing a long time ago, but they were clearly here with the others. Team Crustacean was with them – perhaps they played a part in rescuing the others from the Raiders. She didn't know who the Archeops, Charmander, and Growlithe were, but she could only assume that they, too, had been rescued.

"Everyone!" cried Tesla, suddenly enough to make the other group jump. "Everyone! You have got to see this! I can hardly believe it myself! Everyone!" She scuttled back into the fog, still yelling at the top of her lungs (if she had them).

"Team Bloodsucker's here!" cried Okami, totally ecstatic. "And that means everyone else is here too!"

Luke's eyes shone. "Burner? Tortuga? Come on, let's follow Tesla!" His voice carried with it some semblance to the old Luke, the happy-go-lucky Victini before this series of catastrophes had happened.

The two groups found each other in the ruined main square. Wyvern, Pteryx, Gaby, and Luke, under ordinary circumstances, been driven into deeper concern and even fear had they taken the time to look around at the true measure of destruction that had befallen their home, and that now surrounded them. But these were not ordinary circumstances – there was a bunch of familiar-looking Pokemon waiting for them when they got there.

"It's Wyvern and Pteryx!" shouted Tortuga, his usually carefree demeanor replaced with utter joy. The two Rock-and-Flying-types spotted him instantly as he waddled slowly over to meet them, and their hearts beat faster with a new excitement.

"Whaddaya think about that? We're a family again, big brother!" Pteryx cried. He had lost hope upon seeing his home destroyed, but he had regained it upon seeing his lifelong friend. The Archen hopped out of his brother's arms and pounced on Tortuga, wrapping his feathery arms tightly around the Tirtouga's shell.

Wyvern, who hadn't seen the Prototurtle Pokemon since they had rode the Tranquility into the storm, was doubly excited. "We are! Team Fossil is whole once more!" he agreed, a huge grin splitting his toothy muzzle in two. He ran over and picked up both Pteryx and Tortuga, smothering them in a huge hug.

Arthur, Burner, Junpei, and even Claw got teary-eyed at the sight of their reunion. The four rescue teams – Sand Dragons, Knights, Crustacean, and Bloodsucker – gathered together, immediately launching into an enthusiastic conversation full of hugs, shoulder punches, and pats on the back.

"COBALT!"

Terra's voice split through the cheerful and noisy atmosphere as she laid eyes on her long-lost friend. The Riolu flinched at the suddenness and familiarity of her voice, meeting her eyes almost immediately. His breath caught in his throat as he saw her as well – Terra, his best friend, teammate in Team Bluefire, and secret crush.

The Charmander ran over before he could react and wrapped her stubby arms tightly around his neck, simply too happy to see him again. "I thought you were dead!" she said, tears running freely down her cheeks. "I thought the earthquake that sunk our island killed you too!"

Cobalt blushed heavily and awkwardly hugged her back. "Um… w-well, I thought the s-same of you, to b-be completely honest," he replied.

That was when Cliff knocked them over and started licking the Riolu all over his face enthusiastically. "Ugh! Cliff, knock it off!" Cobalt protested, but he soon gave in to laughter, along with Terra, as the Puppy Pokemon continued to smother him with affection – and slobber.

The members of Team Eevui all squealed each others' names at once and clumped into one big group hug, nuzzling and licking each other joyfully. Jowl hung back at the sight of Miranda, blushing under his fur, but was suddenly ambushed by Sinestra. His younger sister leapt on top of him and embraced him, refusing to let go. He forgot all about the Vaporeon and happily reunited with his sister.

Team Fossil, Team Eevui, and the old Team Bluefire were at last whole again. Friends and family were finally together, after all the horrifying events that had unfolded against them. These were precious, peaceful moments that could be afforded to be spent on blissful reunions.

And spend they all did, with great gusto.

"This has to be the most touching thing I've ever seen," Lancelot thought with a smile.

"Sadly, we're gonna hafta ruin it fer our own well-bein'," Boomer responded. Her comment drew the confused stares of Team Bloodsucker and Sand Dragons. Eugene was the one that asked the question swimming through all of their minds. "What do you mean?" the Garchomp asked.

"Ever heard of the Jellicent Kingdom, maties?" Claw asked them. When he got six individual shakes of the head in reply, he continued, "'Course yeh didn't. Me team heard nothin' about them even after workin' fer the Abyssal Raiders a whole month. They've destroyed the Raiders and taken the western sea fer themselves. We're sittin' Ducklett long as we remain here."

Burner and Junpei didn't know the whole story, but they were smart enough to guess that they probably didn't have time for a more thorough explanation. "We need supplies," Lancelot cut in. "Our boat's on the northern side of town and completely devoid of food and other materials."

Drain nodded and spoke up after taking a second to think. "We'll quickly scavenge what we can from Seaside Village and then head for the Guardians' isle. We've got the Windchaser and Seasearcher with us, so you can come along as well. No Pokemon gets left behind, especially if there's a hidden danger lurking here as you said."

"So it's settled then," Junpei added decisively. He gestured at the other Pokemon, who appeared to be wrapping up their reunion while Gaby, Shadepelt, and Luke stood glumly on the sidelines. The Flygon continued, "Let's gather everyone up, scrounge for some supplies, get Lancelot's boat, and finally head home."

-.-.-.-.-.

"What a Feebas' nest this is!" Pearl exclaimed, floating across the damp cave and recoiling in disgust. "I cannot believe the Abyssal Raiders were planning to rule the oceans from this repulsive den!"

The two Jellicent were in the air-pocketed cavern that was originally El Nino's chamber. They couldn't wait for their soldiers to pick off the last of the remaining Raiders so they could at last get back to their comfortable palace. Right now, though, they were exploring the complex fortress to see if there were any valuables to be salvaged.

It didn't seem likely, based on how well their search was going.

"I say!" cried Khan, pointing at the large throne-like chair that the late Gyarados would often sit on. "That thug has the gall to sit on a throne! It admittedly isn't as magnificent as ours, my dear Pearl, but that is beside the point! By gum, that El Nino chap, not to mention his followers, aren't even royalty! The nerve!"

His wife glanced over at the huge stone chair and shuddered. "Dreadful-looking thing," she scoffed. The pink Jellicent summoned a Shadow Ball and casually lobbed it at the chair. It exploded when the dark energy connected, throwing bits of rock everywhere.

But instead of a flat cavern floor, a large hole in the ground was revealed.

"Now whatever could that be?" Khan wondered. The blue Jellicent reached down into the hole with a tentacle and found something at the bottom.

Him and Pearl both peered at the object that he retrieved. It was a rectangular piece of some kind of mysterious substance, probably a metal of some kind. It was a dark, rich brown, like the soil that was found in forests on the continent. The odd thing was that the color seemed to pulse and shift even as they stared at it. "Could this be?" Khan murmured.

Pearl nodded wisely. "This is a Shard," she said with certainty. "One of the five keystones that seal Xerneas and Yveltal, or so I've been told. I always thought that they were just legends."

The blue Jellicent laughed, a low chuckle that echoed softly in the cavern. "It seems as they are not," he replied. "But if we collect all of these here stones, then maybe it is _we_ that will be legends, hmm?"

The two monarchs hovered in silence for a while, considering that idea. It was definitely something worth thinking about.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Team Hydroburn belongs to RoyalBlue120.**

**Families are reunited! Rescue teams are restored to their full glory! Things can't get happier!**

**But they can certainly get worse. The Darkfeathers destroyed Seaside Village, and the monarchs of the Jellicent Kingdom have gotten their dirty tentacles on a Shard. What'll happen now? Things are looking dark indeed.**

**But for now… we can simply bask in the warm glow of the shining star of friendship.**

**Everyone: "REVIEW PLEASE!"**

**Chapter Question #26: Would you like to see mystery dungeons take on a bigger role in the sequel? After all, this story's almost done and we've just gotten our first mention of the subject.**


	41. Comfort and Romance after the Trauma

**As this chapter's name suggests, everyone is given some ample time to recuperate after the huge battle at the Abyssal Raiders' trench. Indeed, that carnage has badly affected everyone – even those that caused it.**

**I hope some of you were eagerly waiting for what happens at the end of this chapter, because I certainly was!**

-.-.-.-.-.

The trench looked as if an undersea storm had raged through it.

It was completely devoid of Abyssal Raiders, the majority being dead and the rest having fled with their lives. The only Pokemon in sight were Frillish of both colors, as well as Tentacool and Tentacruel, cleaning up the mess that their attack had caused and guarding the fortress in case its original owners came back to claim it again.

In one particular cavern, the faint sounds of despair could be heard emanating from it. Anyone who passed knew just who inhabited said cavern, and knew not to bother them in such a state of broken-down emotion.

Lady Sapphire floated back and forth, wringing her tentacles together and looking like a complete wreck. Indeed, she looked close to a nervous breakdown. "Why?" she asked over and over again, tears welling in her eyes. "Why, Neptune? Why did you do that?"

The blue Frillish's expression carried a look of sadness and pity as he got up off of his chair. "Sapphire," he began gently. "Please understand, if I hadn't done anything…"

But before he could complete the statement, she whirled on him with a hostility that she had never shown him before. "You were almost _killed_!" Sapphire screeched. "If you died, what do you think that would do to me? If anyone was to die, it should have been me!"

Neptune looked positively distraught. "Please," he croaked, voice breaking with emotion. "If I hadn't done anything to save you, you would have died and my heart would have went with you. Do you think I could carry on living with the knowledge that I didn't even try?"

The anger drained from Sapphire's face. She now held herself up limply, as if her strength would give out any moment. "That Solarbeam could have killed you," she whispered in protest. "You shouldn't have done anything. If you hadn't, then at least you would be able to keep on living. I-I'm n-not worth the effort… the b-bravery… to s-save…"

Now Sapphire couldn't bear her emotions any longer. She collapsed heavily on her armchair, breaking down in a flood of sadness and guilt. She buried her face in her tentacles and wept, crying her heart out at the memory of what had nearly happened to her beloved Neptune.

"Never say that again," her husband said quietly as he sat down beside her. "If you weren't worth the effort it took to save you from certain death, then I would never have married you." His soft, soothing voice was enough to push Sapphire completely off of the edge. She threw her arms around him and buried her head into his neck as her sobbing increased in intensity.

All Neptune could do was hold her in his own arms and make soft shushing sounds in her ear, trying to ease her pain. At last, her crying faded down to a low moan and she stopped shuddering. The only sounds that came from the pink Frillish's mouth were exhausted gasps as her energy wore out and she leaned limply into him.

"I would never be able to live without you," Neptune said quietly, prompting Sapphire to look up at him with blurry, puffy eyes. He didn't even look at her as he continued sadly, "Without you, I'd be nothing. I would have no reason to live. If you died there in front of me, I'd just lie down next to you and stay there until I died. Then we would be able to be together again…"

Neptune sniffled as a single tear slid down his cheek. Lady Sapphire watched him with something like fascination. _I always knew he loved me,_ she thought in wonder. _But I never even suspected that it was as strong as my love for him…_

"I was taking a huge risk in saving you like that," he continued sadly. "But big risks always have big rewards, and my reward in this case was you being able to be here with me right now." He looked up and directly into her eyes, and she could at last get a sense of what her husband was feeling right now.

"Neptune…" she whispered painfully, her throat dreadfully dry from crying. The blue Frillish stroked her gently as he went on, "I made a promise to your parents the day we were married. They asked me to swear that I'd protect you, no matter what happened. And I made that promise in a heartbeat. Even if they didn't ask me to make that promise, I would have promised that to myself anyway. If hundreds of Pokemon have to die in return for your safety, then so be it."

Lady Sapphire felt tears come once more to her eyes. Her mouth tweaked upwards in a sad smile. "That's the nicest, most heartfelt thing anyone has ever said to me…" she murmured, leaning into him once more and embracing him with a new strength.

They held onto each other strongly, unwilling to let go. "I will always, _always_ be there for you," Neptune whispered. "And I for you," she replied in a voice just as soft.

Tears were now flowing freely down the two lovers' faces as they gently touched their foreheads together and nuzzled each other lovingly. Neptune smiled as he bent down and kissed her tenderly, murmuring "I love you," as he did so.

By the time they broke apart, a wide, genuine smile was spreading across Sapphire's lovely face. "I love you more," she replied, and pushed him against the back of the armchair. They shared another kiss, which Sapphire eagerly deepened.

It was this passionate act that strengthened the both of them. The two Frillish tightened their embrace lustfully and pushed themselves closer up against the other, each happy and relieved that their love remained intact after all they had been through.

They knew that they would be forever safe, as long as they were wrapped in each others' arms.

-.-.-.-.-.

Night had fallen, and the trio of ships pushed onwards through the calm seas. Fog still shrouded the area, making navigation difficult. In the Murkrow's nest of the foremost ship, the _Windchaser_, sat Pteryx and Wyvern, whose keen eyes were more able than any other to see through the mist. They were the only ones out and about.

Behind the _Windchaser_, below the deck of the _Tranquility_, Lancelot silently opened the door to one of the cabins. Luke and Gaby looked up, startled at his sudden intrusion. They were sitting side by side on the edge of the bed, illuminated by a candle on the shelf above that had been lit.

The Gallade was about to ask how they were doing, when he saw for himself. Gaby's eyes were redder than usual, and her face was streaked with tears.

"I tried to calm her down," Luke said apologetically, "but I just didn't know what to say! She's so upset, and I was completely worthless…" His voice was heavy with guilt and sadness.

Lancelot sat down on the bed, on the other side of Gaby. His daughter just hung her head, silently looking at the floor.

The Victini looked at him desperately. _Please help her,_ he seemed to be pleading.

"Gaby, what's wrong?" Lancelot asked softly, putting a reassuring arm around her shoulders.

She didn't answer at first, just kept staring downwards. They heard her sniffle quietly and then swallow, as if trying to clear her throat in order to speak. Lancelot and Luke waited for her to say something.

Finally, she swallowed again and rasped, "E-Everything's g-going so wrong."

The two males said nothing, still waiting. Gaby raised her head and looked up at her father. "F-First there was that storm that took the _T-Tranquility_. Then we got c-captured by the Abyssal R-Raiders" – here she swallowed again – "and I f-found out that m-my Shard, the one I f-found, was taken. Then I k-killed that Octillery, and n-now M-Mother and T-Topaz are m-missing… I j-just d-don't know what t-to do anymore…"

Gaby sunk her head into her hands and started sobbing. Luke was unable to remain expressionless, eyes watering and mouth quivering at the sight of his friend looking so distraught.

Lancelot gently put his other arm around the Kirlia, and she leaned into her father's side helplessly. Upon watching this, Luke looked away and choked back a sob of his own.

"Things are getting worse," Lancelot began, "and we're all dealing with the same hardships you are. When my team and I were captured on Deepdark Island, it was terrible, but it was made even worse because I knew that I was separated from my family. And that's only one example. I'm sure that if you asked anyone else on this ship, they'd tell you about something equally terrible that they've experienced."

Gaby slowly stopped crying. Her father continued, "But because all of these horrible things are happening to us, that only makes it even more important for us not to give up."

The girl looked up at him, a question clearly showing through her watery eyes. "…R-Really…?" she croaked, instinctively swallowing again.

"Yes," Lancelot replied. "Look at you now… you've given up hope because you've been captured and imprisoned, you're missing your mother and your brother, and you're uncertain as to what the future holds. I understand that. I'm just as uncertain as you are, and I miss my family as well. But I haven't given up."

Gaby was silent once more as she contemplated his words.

The Gallade stood up and turned to Luke. "Now might not be the time for this," he told him, "but I think Gaby needs a little time to herself. You mind coming with me and talking for a while?"

Luke glanced once at Gaby before floating up off the bed. "A-Alright…" he replied, voice cracking slightly. The two of them quietly walked out of the cabin and shut the door behind them.

Once they were alone in the corridor, Lancelot began walking toward the stairs that led above deck, gesturing for Luke to follow him. The Victini fluttered alongside him for a few moments.

"You feeling alright?" Lancelot suddenly asked, catching Luke slightly off guard. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine," the Psychic-and-Fire-type replied, wiping the leftover tears out of his eyes. "I'm just worried about Gaby, and I'm confused like you are. I don't know what's going to happen to us. The world's going crazy with all the evildoers and natural disasters running rampant."

Lancelot quickly snuck a furtive glance at Luke – the Victini was indeed much more mature than he looked. _Maybe… just maybe…_

"Luke, was it?" he asked, getting a nod out of the much smaller Pokemon. They reached the stairs, and Lancelot opened the hatch, allowing them to step up onto the deck. Despite the fog and the wind stirring up waves on the ocean's surface, it was peaceful and calm.

"You know, Luke," Lancelot started, pausing for a moment out of uncertainty, "I've been on a rescue team for a long time, and I can tell that you have great potential. You're a powerful Pokemon, Luke – Gaby's told me about the things you've pulled off when the going's gotten tough. So when we arrive at the Guardians' isle… would you be willing to join Team Knights as our apprentice?"

The Victini almost fell out of the air in shock. "Y-You really want me on your team?" he asked. "Won't I slow you and Arthur down on your adventures? Won't I just mess up and make stupid mistakes?"

The Psychic-and-Fighting-type chuckled. "Yes, you will," he agreed. "You'll make lots of mistakes, and mess up continuously. When I first joined a rescue team as an apprentice, I did both of those things time after time. But like I said, you're powerful and have huge potential. I think you'd make a great rescue team member with enough experience."

Luke was flattered, excited, and beyond flabbergasted – but he was still unsure of Lancelot's offer. "Can I just think about it for a while?" he asked tentatively. "This is coming as a huge shock to me, being asked to join an almost-legendary rescue team and become a Guardian and all…"

Lancelot chuckled again. "Of course. I'm not forcing you to do anything. It's entirely your choice as to if you join Team Knights or not."

The Gallade gave him a final nod and walked up to the bow to talk with Chet at the wheel, leaving Luke alone to ponder the offer he had been given.

-.-.-.-.-.

Across the western ocean, floating farther and farther north in the opposite direction of the _Windchaser_, Cenric was the only one of his small company that remained awake. Vizeli was still unconscious, while Madeleine, Sam, Blanca, and the Crawdaunt guard had fallen asleep. The Buizel was left alone to contemplate on what had gone on so far – as well the situation he was stuck in.

First, there was his mother. Vizeli had abandoned him on the Glacier of Absence, and he had recently found her working for the Abyssal Raiders. She was a Pokemon to be wary of, and one that he was infinitely uncomfortable being around. Cenric had no doubt that the Floatzel would double-cross them all at the first sign of trouble.

But… she was still his mother. How did that affect Cenric's current relationship with her? He wasn't quite sure…

Then there was Madeleine. The Absol was his best friend, whom he had grown up with in the Yin-Yang Islands. She was someone he admired and – in recent years – loved. But the disaster that occurred just before her disappearance was harsh, and it had been partially Cenric's fault. From the way Madeleine had treated him earlier, it was obvious that she was still mad.

A soft sound interrupted Cenric's troubled thoughts. It was Blanca, rousing herself from sleep. "…Cenric?" she asked groggily. "Why aren't you asleep?"

He shrugged indifferently. "I can't get comfortable," he replied, the discomfort he was feeling seeping into his voice. Blanca noticed this and became concerned, forcing herself further awake. "What's wrong?" the older Absol inquired worriedly.

"Its… well, its this entire situation we're in that's bothering me," Cenric admitted as she walked the short distance across their raft and sat down next to him. "Our world's being torn to shreds, literally and figuratively. Society's crumbling and natural disasters are helping that immensely. I've heard rumors while I was wandering that the mythical mystery dungeons are appearing."

The Buizel sighed and finished, "But what's bothering me the most… is where I am right now. I'm in the middle of nowhere with a former Abyssal Raider, my abusive mother, and my best friend whom I think I'm in love with and who hates me in return. And the only source of comfort is you and Sam."

He _almost_ started to cry. But his pride got in the way of that at the last second.

Blanca curled up around him and laid her head on her paws. "Cenric, there's very little you can do about any of this," she told him gently. "You're going to have to make the best of it."

His voice came out weighed down with hopelessness. "How?" he moaned.

"I'm not sure," Blanca admitted. "But Sam and I are here to make you feel better. You've always been like a son to us."

Cenric leaned miserably against the Absol's side and took a deep breath through his nose. The scent and warmth of her fur was comforting, and it reminded him of home. Against his will, he instinctively relaxed.

"Just give it a little time," continued Blanca. "We'll find land eventually. And maybe even before that, your feelings about Vizeli and Madeleine might change for the better. Theirs too, even."

The Buizel couldn't help but feel better at Blanca's soothing words. Yes, maybe there'd come a time where he no longer felt uncomfortable around Madeleine and Vizeli. But right now, he'd have to put up with them and find a way to survive until they hit land.

Comforted by Blanca's words and feeling relaxed as he leaned against her, Cenric slowly fell asleep.

-.-.-.-.-.

Deep in thought, Luke had wandered back below deck after talking with Lancelot. He was still shocked from the Gallade's proposition – how in Arceus' name would he ever live up to their expectations? Team Knights was one of the most revered of rescue teams, and he was simply… Luke.

He brought himself out of his worrisome thoughts when he approached the cabin in which he and Lancelot had left Gaby. The Victini frowned slightly, floating forward and pressing one of his ears to the door. He couldn't hear anything.

Luke turned the doorknob and pushed the door open. It was dark inside – it seemed the candle on the shelf had been blown out. Gaby was lying on the bed, giving no sign that she had noticed the door opening and the light flooding in.

"Are you feeling a little better?" Luke asked hesitantly. He sat down on the edge of the bed and looked intently at the Kirlia. Her eyes gazed back at him, but she didn't reply.

"I've been doing some thinking," Luke continued, trying to make conversation in order to help soothe her, "and I've realized something. I've realized that Lancelot was right when he said that you shouldn't give up, no matter what's going on around you."

Gaby stayed quiet and kept looking at him. Luke took this as a good sign and continued to talk. "Your dad said that we shouldn't give up because of our problems. He said that our problems are only giving us more reasons _not_ to give up. The more bad things that come our way, the more good things we have to fight for.

"You're missing your mom and your brother, but that's just another reason to stay strong! There's always a chance that you'll see them again, and you have to fight in order to take that chance. If you give up hope, then you'll never find them. Just don't give up, Gaby. Things will get better! Just wait and see."

The Kirlia slowly sat up and joined him on the edge of the bed. When she spoke, her voice was no longer broken and raspy, but it was still weak and subdued. "It's hard," she said softly. "It's hard to keep going when so many things are going wrong. The problems we're facing are so large that they can affect the very world we live in. It makes me feel small and alone…"

She stopped when she felt a small yet strong hand clutch her own. Gaby looked at Luke, witnessing the change that had come over him. The light in his normally soft blue eyes was hard and determined, and his face was set in a stern, stoic expression. He looked so much more mature, like the Pokemon he really was inside of that tiny, furry body.

"You're never alone, Gaby," Luke told her. "You'll never be alone as long as you have your friends with you. And you have a lot of friends! You have four rescue teams on your side, as well as Cobalt, Shadepelt, Cliff, and a whole bunch more. As long as we're there to fight alongside you, you'll never be alone."

The Victini looked at her with a new intensity, and he held her hand in both of his hands now. "And you'll never be alone because I'll be there with you. I'll always be there at your side to support you. And you can count on me to never, ever leave."

Gaby stared at him, spellbound. This was a Pokemon that was calling himself her friend. A Pokemon that was telling her that they would be forever united. A Pokemon that was willing to lay down his life to protect her, a Kirlia he barely knew, even after all of their adventures together.

The shell she normally hid herself underneath fell to pieces. A smile began to stretch across her face. And her heart melted.

Gaby lunged forward, sweeping Luke up into her arms. Tears of joy ran freely down her face and dripped onto the bed as she leaned forward and kissed him, directly on the mouth.

The kiss lasted exactly four seconds.

The Kirlia finally withdrew, her shuddering breaths coming hard and fast. Luke's wide – and, she suddenly realized, extremely handsome – blue eyes were fixated on her face. Gaby smiled and wrapped her arms a little more tightly around him, pushing her forehead against his.

"Thank you," she breathed. And then she was on her feet and walking out the door, gone in mere moments.

Luke was shaking and twitching as the realization of what Gaby had done slowly made its way into his paralyzed mind. Then the sheer magnitude of it hit him all at once, and he fainted, falling backwards onto the bed without even a sound.

His dreams were focused entirely on that memory – the memory of the angel named Gaby that had come down from Arceus' domain and into his life, the no longer pretty, but stunningly beautiful, Kirlia that had so intimately intertwined her lips with his. The memory of the kiss burned like the fire of Ho-oh in his mind, the feeling of her blissfully soft, warm lips working slowly against his forever locked in the treasure trove of his memories.

And if Luke's memories were a treasure trove, then the memory of his and Gaby's first kiss was the most magnificent jewel of them all.

In his dreams, the Victini could only utter one word. It was the loveliest two syllables he had ever heard, the sound of which set his heart aflame. The name endlessly repeated itself in his mind, and he never once grew tired of hearing it.

_Gaby… Gaby… Gaby…_

-.-.-.-.-.

**More Sapphire/Neptune mushiness! I can't help but feel that their love for one another redeems them somewhat. Right, readers?**

**Is this the last we'll see of the Frillish couple? Just wait…**

**Also… Luke and Gaby have finally done it. Gaby's breached the gap that precedes romance upon realizing her true feelings for the Victini. I-I feel like c-crying. L-Let me j-just g-get my h-hanky… *starts sobbing and blows nose***

**Luke: *still dazed* "Review, please… mmmmmmm… Gaby…"**

**Chapter Question #27: Which heroes do you want to see more of in the sequel? Are there any I should expand more upon?**


	42. Survivors and Sinister Plots

**After having two whole chapters of glorious friendship and blossoming romance, I'm taking you readers back to the dark side. Time to see how all the other villains are faring!**

**A couple of you readers requested that I expand more upon Luke – indeed, his entire backstory is unknown so far. Right now, he just exists. We know nothing about him! But that'll be revealed eventually, don't worry.**

-.-.-.-.-.

If it could have spoken, the Glacier of Absence's voice would be tinged with annoyance. It had been named as such due to the fact that it was too inhospitable for anyone to survive there for long, and thus was deserted.

Despite this, however, was this single fact that irked the glacier – for directly contradicting its given name was the surprising amount of activity that went on here nowadays.

Once more, the four criminal gangs were gathered around the Malamar and Magnemite, Nigel and Bolt. Indeed, the time for their scheduled meeting was upon them. It was this meeting that would determine who would rule the world in the future, and who would be crushed underfoot.

Mara was determined that she wouldn't be the one to be crushed. She and Iron Talon had barely gotten out of their fight with Clawface and Herra alive. The Fearow and his partner had been defeated at the cost of almost twenty Darkfeather soldiers, and possibly killed – but Mara had assumed Clawface to be dead once before, and she had turned out to be wrong.

The Honchkrow now sported a long scar along the leading edge of her wing, the work of Clawface's talons. Iron Talon's metallic claws were further scorched, thanks to a glancing blow from a Hyper Beam. It would take a while for their injuries to heal. For now, though, Mara was thankful that she was still alive.

The subsequent raid on Seaside Village had been pulled off without a hitch. Not a single building remained intact in that poor port town. The Darkfeathers now had enough supplies to take on the Guardians and hold out for a year.

Back in the present, the two Darkfeathers didn't take kindly to being stared at. They glared at Niwri and his two underlings, Rudy and Sylvester, when the Dark-types noticed and looked over their allies' new wounds. Even though the Life Stealers' intentions were only idly curious and nothing more, Mara did not want them getting any ideas.

The Frozen Marauders didn't appear to be interested – but then again, they were practically living incarnations of the phrase "appearances deceive". One never knew what was going on in their heads, and that was usually the opposite of what _appeared_ to be.

And then there were the Abyssal Raiders. El Nino and General Fang hadn't given Mara or Iron Talon a second glance after they arrived, which was unusual. Mara thought that they'd be asking a lot of questions, pretending to be concerned when in reality they were trying to wheedle information out of them.

But that wasn't the case. Strange.

However, Mara had caught Lady Sapphire giving her the once-over on three occasions, and all of them were from the corner of her eye. The Frillish's stare was analytical and calculating, almost bordering on chilling. Mara forced herself to ignore it.

_Am I going to regret siding with her and the other Raiders?_ she wondered. _Will this alliance come back to bite me in the tail feathers?_

"So, we are all here once again," Nigel said smoothly, bringing the Honchkrow out of her thoughts. "I trust we've been giving this proposition some thought, hmm?"

Glacy floated forward with nary a sound. "Indeed," the Froslass hissed. "Although I am comfortable in my current position, the promise of even more power is rather… intriguing."

The Vanilluxe twins, Helios and Selene, nodded in unison, agreeing with their mistress. "We hate to admit it, but we are very interested in this deal. We have given it much discussion amongst ourselves," they added, nodding their heads again as if to confirm this.

"That is encouraging," Nigel said with a smile. "I'm very glad to see that you're all genuinely considering my offer."

No one heard Lady Sapphire snort derisively.

"NOW THEN, A QUICK REVIEW AS REQUESTED BY THE MISTRESS," Bolt droned. "THE DEAL WORKS AS FOLLOWS – YOU FOUR HELP SEARCH FOR THE SHARDS, AND ONCE ALL FIVE ARE GATHERED, YOU GET EQUAL PIECES OF THE POKEMON WORLD TO RULE AS PART OF YOUR TERRITORY. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS?"

Niwri crossed his arms. "None at all!" he snapped. "We all know this – we've been thinkin' about nothin' else fer the past week!"

The Magnemite tilted himself towards the ground in an apologetic bow. "NOW THEN, ARE WE READY TO PROCEED WITH THE NEGOTIATIONS?" he intoned.

"_Ciertamente,_" replied El Nino with a flourish of his tail. "Us _Raiders Abisales_ have not discussed anything else since we last met. We have received many differing _opiniones_ amongst our gang, and thus have all the possible _informacion_ we will need. You can consider I and the _Raiders Abisales_ as your _aliados_."

Nigel's beaky mouth broke into a wide grin. "Why, that's smashing news!" he exclaimed, absolutely delighted. "I promise you will not regret this one bit! You will be happy as our allies, Abyssal Raiders."

Lady Sapphire gave her high-pitched titter of a laugh. "I'm sure we will!" she agreed cheerfully. "Over half of the Pokemon world is made up of water, and when we succeed, the Abyssal Raiders will rule _all _of it!" Her giggle changed to a maniacal cackle that made Mara privately uncomfortable on the sidelines.

"'When we succeed', huh?" asked Niwri with a sneer, emphasizing the word 'when'. "Someone's feelin' confident. Anyhow, I personally don't trust ya, Nigel, but I think that the rewards that come with this alliance far outweigh the risks. The Life Stealers're with ya."

Before the Malamar could give one of his extravagant thank-yous, Glacy silenced them all with her winter breeze of a voice. "Me and my Marauders are willing to join as well. We think the reward is great enough for us to come out of hiding at last. Do not make us regret this, you two," she whispered threateningly.

"The Darkfeathers need" – Mara stopped herself before she could say anything about their current, difficult situation. She didn't want anyone – _And Sapphire in particular,_ she thought quietly – to know that they were weak and then try to eliminate them as contenders, thus getting a bigger reward as a result.

Mara began again, "The Darkfeathers are willing to join this alliance. More power is always a good thing, and I think that a fifth of the world of Pokemon is worth any risk." Behind her, Iron Talon nodded his approval.

"Then from this moment forth, we are allies," Nigel said, smiling.

El Nino grinned.

Mara nodded.

Glacy just stared.

Niwri shrugged.

And behind it all, Lady Sapphire allowed a dark, evil smirk to cross her face. "Perfect," she murmured. "One big group of idiots to slaughter instead of four small ones."

-.-.-.-.-.

The four criminal gangs dispersed from the Glacier of Absence, all ready to begin their search for the Shards anew. Using their Abra, they were all able to teleport back to their lairs – or at least, the Frozen Marauders and Darkfeathers were.

On an abandoned, stormy cliff-side that overlooked the eastern ocean, a portal sprang into existence. Eight Pokemon fell out and into the driving rain. Three were Dark-types, three were Water-types, and the last two were just the Abra the six criminals had used to get to this spot.

"Now what is it ya wanted ta talk to us about?" Niwri asked grumpily. "Next time yer plannin' a meetin', why not give me a little heads up, huh?"

Sapphire floated forward a few feet. "I'm sorry, my friend," she said, smiling. "I couldn't find any means of contacting you beforehand, so I decided to wait until after we met with Nigel and Bolt."

Her expression darkened slightly, and her normally cheerful voice became deadly serious. "Speaking of those two… what do you actually think of them?" she asked quietly, barely audible over the rain. "You don't trust them any more than I do, don't you?"

Before Niwri could silence him, Rudy spoke up. "Yeah, that's the truth," he said, a mite cautiously. "We're only doing this because we don't want everyone else against us."

The Krookodile swatted him on the arm, prompting his son to keep quiet. Then he inquired suspiciously, "Why is it ya want ta know? What's the real reason ya brought us here?"

Lady Sapphire flashed him a grin that chilled him slightly. "You see, I have my suspicions about Nigel and Bolt as well. Personally, I think that they're only having us do their dirty work for them, and once they have the Shards, they will crush us all. Don't you think so, Niwri?"

Niwri frowned. Despite himself, he found himself admitting that there was indeed truth in the Frillish's words. Were Nigel and Bolt only using them?

He shook off the disturbing question. "Get ta the point, girl," he snarled.

"Yes, yes, of course," Sapphire twittered. "Let's not waste any more time beating around the coral, hmm? You don't like this alliance any more than I do. It stinks like rotting fish. To put it bluntly, I'm offering you the chance to join us and help take down the Darkfeathers, Marauders, and the duo that's started all this."

Sylvester, with a nervous glance at Niwri, asked hesitantly, "When you say 'us', you mean the Abyssal Raiders, right?"

The pink Frillish smiled, an expression that would give nightmares to a Galvantula. She gestured to the Gyarados and Sharpedo behind her and sneered, "Oh, you were fooled too?"

On that cue – and to the eternal shock of the three Life Stealers – El Nino and General Fang's bodies suddenly glowed and distorted, shifting into entirely new forms. The process only took a second, and when it was done, a Zoroark and a Ditto were standing in their places.

"Let me tell you a secret, Niwri," Lady Sapphire said, coming close enough to whisper in his ear. "The Abyssal Raiders are long gone. With the help of my family, I destroyed them from the inside. If you choose to work with us, you're choosing to work with the most powerful force in the four oceans – the Jellicent Kingdom."

Niwri, Rudy, and Sylvester were completely flabbergasted at this unexpected turn of events. Their silence gave Lady Sapphire the opportunity to continue talking.

"I could tell you everything the Abyssal Raiders have been doing to hurt you," she hissed, circling the trio. "El Nino has been sending his soldiers out into the Dunedust Desert in order to kill your own and to steal the goods you've been collecting from the trade routes. He's been sending them to the Bughaven Kingdom, where an ally of his has taken over. As of right now, she still doesn't know her leader is dead. We can keep her in the dark for as long as we want if we work together, and eventually we can weaken the Bughaven Kingdom enough for you to conquer it."

She fell silent, allowing Niwri to add some of his own words to the discussion. He did so after pausing for a second to gather his thoughts. "So what yer suggestin' is that you help me expand my realm by dupin' the Raider in charge of the Bughaven Kingdom?" he asked, scratching his chin with a claw. "That's devious of ya. I like smart Pokemon."

Lady Sapphire smirked. She wasn't finished yet. "With my help, you can not only do that, but get revenge on the last remaining member of the Abyssal Raiders, the very one that's been trying to weaken you and the Life Stealers. Then we can stop Nigel's plan and take the Shards for ourselves."

Now Niwri was really interested. "Is there anythin' else?" he asked.

"As a matter of fact, yes," replied Sapphire. "The only things I ask for in return are some of those goods you're pirating from the Desert Faction, and a promise that you won't try to double-cross me."

Rudy and Sylvester's faces were a mix of interest and mistrust. Any Pokemon that could destroy a criminal gang as large and organized as the Abyssal Raiders in such a manner shouldn't be trusted. But on the other hand, that same Pokemon could be a formidable ally. And right now, she was offering them the means to help conquer more territory, get rid of Mara and Glacy, and obtain the artifacts that would give them control over the entire Pokemon world.

It was a deal too good to pass up. After much thought, Niwri slowly nodded.

"Alright," he conceded. "We'll work with ya. Whaddaya want us ta do first?"

The Frillish clapped her tentacles together. "Splendid!" she enthused, back to her usual ditzy self. "Just keep taking those supplies, and send them off to the Bughaven Kingdom. I'll contact the Raider in charge and get her to cooperate. That way, no one will suspect a thing until we move onto our next step."

Niwri nodded. "Gotcha," he said, then winced a hailstone hit him between the eyes. "Are we done here?" he grunted, as more hail began to fall.

"Yep!" chirped Sapphire. "I'll keep in touch, don't worry. See you later!"

With a final wink, the Frillish and her two minions collected their Abra and were gone in a flash.

-.-.-.-.-.

Far, far away from the Glacier of Absence and the cliff on which Niwri and Sapphire conversed, the deserted seas around an area once occupied by land became a lot less deserted.

A small group of Water-types had swum far to reach this spot, but now at last they could stop. In the distance, they could all see the ruins of a once-great civilization rising up from the deep, dark abyss. The darkness surrounding the ocean Pokemon was as gloomy as the mood they were in.

"Is this as far as we have to go?" asked a Huntail nervously.

His Gorebyss companion nodded her elegant head. "I believe so. We are in the southern ocean now. I doubt the Jellicent Kingdom will follow us this far."

The Sharpedo leader of the group turned his head slightly behind him in order to give the pair a better look. The Gorebyss made a good point. They were outside of the western ocean, so they could undoubtedly afford to rest for now. But they'd have to keep a sharp eye out, just in case.

Besides, there was this… unnerving chill in the water around them. It was something that should not have existed, and yet did. It defied the laws of nature, and every member of the group could instinctively feel it.

"What's going on here?" muttered the Huntail. "This place feels unnatural. It's giving me the creeps, and that's saying something." Indeed, living in a place like the deep ocean made him hard to scare.

"We should keep moving," a Mantyke recommended. "It doesn't seem safe here."

A Staryu snorted, the sound echoing through everyone's minds. "Please," it said skeptically through telepathy. "What do you think this place is, a mystery dungeon?"

Almost everyone laughed at his sarcastic remark, momentarily relieving the tension in the water. But the Sharpedo didn't laugh. In fact, now that he thought about it, mystery dungeons were said to form in places where nature was imbalanced. And because this area was where Diamond Island had sunk…

"Halt," the Sharpedo commanded. His order was heard by everyone, and thus everyone stopped.

"You are feeling the unnatural vibe radiating from this place," he told them. "I am as well. That is why we must stay here and hide here until we are sure of what to do. We are safe here because no other Pokemon will want to visit this place. They will feel the unnerving vibe these waters give off and swim away. We will be safe for the time being."

The Water-and-Dark-type observed the grim faces surrounding him. No one looked very relieved.

"The Jellicent Kingdom will not find us here," he continued. "We can use this place as a base of sorts, a safe spot to plan for the future. And right now, the future looks uncertain. That is why we must carefully observe the Pokemon in the surrounding areas, and decide who to ally with."

There were murmurs from the other Water-types. "We do not need to ally with anyone!" a Skrelp rasped. "The Abyssal Raiders never needed allies before! Why should we join with anyone now?"

The Sharpedo glared at the offender until he became silent. "Why should we ally ourselves with others?" the shark-like Pokemon repeated. "Because we are weak right now. We are the only survivors of a once-proud gang that ruled the western ocean. In order for us to survive any further, we need allies. Are there any objections?"

There was only silence.

"From now on, we will watch the world around us," said General Fang. "And from this moment on, we will be called the Abyssal Resistance! No matter what, even if we have to ally ourselves with Guardians or the plankton that drifts through this water, the western ocean will be ours once more!"

The negative atmosphere of the dark ocean evaporated as the rest of the newly-christened Abyssal Resistance cheered.

-.-.-.-.-.

**So, Lady Sapphire starts to make her move. But what could she possibly gain out of convincing Niwri and the Life Stealers to double-cross their allies?**

**One thing is for sure… she is such an ****_awesome_**** villain XD**

**And General Fang – the real one – is planning something as well! His true intentions are also in question, but in this case, I think those intentions are a little more benevolent than Lady Sapphire's. Will the Abyssal Resistance ever rise to claim the ocean again?**

**And are the ruins of Diamond Island truly turning into a mystery dungeon?**

**General Fang: "Review. Or else."**

**Chapter Question #28: As opposed to heroes, which ****_villains_**** do you want to see more of in the sequel? Are there any that should fade further into the background and let others take over?**


	43. Introducing the King of the Guardians!

**Surprise! This is the final chapter of "Destined Explorers of Legend"! Next is the epilogue, and then we can move on to the sequel at last!**

-.-.-.-.-.

It was the middle of the night when Rosaline finally decided to retire to her bedchamber. Being the temporary queen of the Bughaven Kingdom was much more work than she had originally thought – there were countless details to be worked out when it came to the safety and well-being of the kingdom.

In the end, she found that she actually cared about all this, and did as much as she could in order to make Arthropod City as prosperous as it could be. After all, the Abyssal Raiders wouldn't have much use for it otherwise.

Of course, she'd need to make sure that the supplies that her fellow Abyssal Raiders sent in would need to be evenly distributed to both her allies in the western ocean and the kingdom itself. The entire reason the Raiders had assigned her this task was to acquire more supplies, so she'd need to make sure that both the Raiders and the citizens of her kingdom were happy and well.

As the Masquerain floated towards her bed to retire for the night, something on her desk caught her eye. She turned herself and hovered over, to find that the object was a letter that sat on her desk. Its gold seal shimmered slightly in the moonlight that flooded her bedchamber, which was what had grabbed her attention.

"Hmm," she mused to herself. "Zis must 'ave been just delivered for _moi_ not to notice it before, no?"

Rosaline opened the envelope and retrieved the letter inside. It was rather short, so she looked it over quickly.

"_My dear friend Rosaline,_

_For the good of the Abyssal Raiders, I have managed to get the Life Stealers to cooperate with us for the time being. I have already spoken with El Nino, and he has agreed to stop sending soldiers to the Dunedust Desert in order to steal the supplies for ourselves. From now on, the supplies will be sent willingly by Niwri himself._

_Also, El Nino wishes for you to know that the supplies should be sent to a remote location in the southern ocean instead of the fortress. This way, no outsiders will suspect anything. I will take the supplies to the fortress myself._

_Lady Sapphire_"

Rosaline smiled as she folded up the letter and put it back in the envelope. So the Life Stealers were now willing to work with the Abyssal Raiders? That was good. That way, lives wouldn't be wasted over possession of a few trade caravans. And that also meant that the Abyssal Raiders would have some powerful allies in their plans to take over the four oceans.

El Nino's plan to send the goods elsewhere was a smart one. The Guardians wouldn't think twice if they or their scouts saw her Surskit hauling supplies down to the southern ocean. Nothing lived down there but random wild Pokemon. The Abyssal Raiders would be in no danger at all.

Little did she know that the true danger to the Abyssal Raiders had already passed, and had swept her allies away like a tidal wave.

-.-.-.-.-.

It had taken them a very long time, but Team Hydroburn had finally made it up the Hot Peak Volcano and into the cavern they had been aiming for. But they knew they couldn't rest, not when it had taken them this long to reach it. They had a mission to get done, and they wanted to get it done as quickly as possible.

"We've wasted enough time," Cannon said, leading the way inside. Even from the entrance, he could feel the intense heat boiling up from the volcano's interior. "Come on, team. We're going to find out if there really is a Shard hidden in this volcano."

Kate felt uneasy about entering, but followed them anyway. She was feeling that same strange vibe she had gotten on the Hot Peak Volcano's slopes. It was a weird feeling, one that went beyond her being a Grass-type – and thus uncomfortable around places such as volcanoes. No, it was something more.

The Hot Peak Volcano was a mystery dungeon. The Meganium was sure of it. It felt just like the forest Cannon and Blaze had rescued her from. It was that same unnatural tingle deep within her bones, the vibe of a place that should not exist. She knew that wild Pokemon were easily driven into madness within these places.

_Should I warn the other two? _Kate wondered, glancing up ahead at the backs of her comrades. She then shook her head and decided, _No. They didn't believe me before, so they probably won't a second time. They'll figure it out for themselves._

Meanwhile, Blaze was doing just that. Even as he followed the Blastoise leader deeper into the volcanic tunnels, and the walls began to pulse with the heat and glow of the lava pools they came across, he certainly didn't feel at home like he thought he would. Instead, he felt an uncomfortable vibration that set his instincts on edge.

_We don't belong here._

That was possibly the only sentence Blaze could have used to put the strange feeling into words. Indeed, they didn't belong here in the volcano. No Pokemon did.

The Blaziken increased his pace in order to catch up with Cannon. No doubt he felt this ominous feeling that shook him to the core as well. Behind him, Kate sped up as well, not wanting to be left behind in this hostile place.

If the members of Team Hydroburn had been paying more attention to what was going on around them, perhaps they would have heard the low growl as they unwittingly disturbed an unknown creature's slumber.

Heavy-lidded eyes snapped open and focused on the intruders below. Heat began to rise from the surface of the creature as its metabolism increased upon awakening. With a snarl, the monster crawled across the ceiling, leaving deep, cross-shaped marks in the stone, as it followed its new prey.

-.-.-.-.-.

It was the middle of the night, and the fog had dispersed, allowing for perfect visibility across the ocean. A full moon blazed in the sky, surrounded by twinkling stars. It was a sight to take any Pokemon's breath away.

It was on the deck of the _Tranquility_ where Luke found Gaby, staring up at the picturesque night sky while leaning on the railing around the edge of the deck. Her eyes were locked on the amazing sight, and Luke stared at it for a few moments as well before being drawn back to the Kirlia. He fought to keep himself from blushing as he silently approached her.

The Victini flinched backwards as Gaby turned to look at him, not at all surprised to see him. "I could sense you coming," she said simply.

Now Luke did blush. "My feelings are that easy to read, huh?" he muttered, looking away embarrassedly.

Gaby smiled at him and took his hand in hers, pulling him over to her side. Luke was determinedly staying silent, unsure of what to say. For a few moments, they held hands silently and looked up at the sky.

"What are we?"

The Kirlia looked at Luke curiously, frowning slightly with confusion. "What do you mean?" she asked uncertainly.

"I mean, what are we? What's our… you know, relationship?" Luke asked, blushing even harder.

Gaby kept looking at him, trying to see what he meant. His feelings were clear enough – confusion mostly, with a dash of embarrassment and a whole bunch of others. But there was one that interested her, a feeling that she had never sensed before in another Pokemon.

However, it matched the feeling she had deep in her heart.

"We're still friends, if that's what you're worried about," Gaby said with a smile, trying to avoid what Luke really meant by his question.

The Victini's blue eyes met hers. "I know that," he replied. "And it's not the fear of not being friends anymore that's worrying me. It's the fear of staying friends that's worrying me."

Her eyes widened slightly. She began to get a sense of that unknown feeling she sensed in Luke's heart as her own heart beat just a little faster, swelling with that same emotion.

Luke was still staring at her. Finally, he said something so quietly that Gaby had to lean closer in order to hear. She was barely an inch away from him when she heard him whisper softly, "I love you."

Gaby felt her face grow hot. Now she knew what that feeling was.

Luke loved her, and she immediately knew that she felt the same about him.

Their hands were still connected. The Psychic-type pulled her friend closer and hugged him tightly. She pushed her forehead into his and murmured, "I think… I think I love you, too…"

And for the second time that night, their lips met.

-.-.-.-.-.

Shadepelt watched the new couple from the shadows with a barely disguised look of disgust on her face. Snorting softly, she left the two of them alone. She didn't like romance. She never had, and probably never would.

However, the Purrloin did know this much – their love for each other would make them easier to manipulate. The Kirlia was a Discoverer, or so Niwri had told her in one of Smatt's letters. Sure, the Darkfeathers had already taken her Shard – something else she had learned from Niwri – but maybe the Shard wasn't enough. Maybe in order to use the Shards, they needed the Discoverers as well.

Shadepelt let that thought simmer in her brain for now. She already had a mission. She was accompanying this growing group of Pokemon to the Guardians' isle, and she knew for a fact that Smatt, Rudy, and Sylvester were following her. It was her job to gather as much information as possible to be relayed to Niwri so that the Guardians could be defeated once and for all.

She decided to let Niwri know about her new idea. Somehow, she knew that the Kirlia would be important to them. If Shadepelt could somehow use Gaby's love for the Victini against her or vice versa, then she'd be an easy target.

The Purrloin slunk away into the shadows and back below deck. She crushed the tiny bit of guilt that wormed its way into her heart. She didn't care about the occupants of this boat at all. They were in the Life Stealers' way, and had to be destroyed. She just _did not _care.

Or did she?

So uncertain was she that she didn't notice Lancelot watching her from behind the slightly opened door of his cabin. The Gallade's eyes narrowed. That Purrloin was up to something, he was certain. Although as a part-Fighting-type he had limited mind powers, Shadepelt nevertheless rendered them all useless, since she was a Dark-type.

It didn't matter right now, though. Lancelot had other things on his mind. He dismissed his suspicions of the Devious Pokemon's true motives and focused on something else that worried him.

As part of a family of Psychic-types that could read emotions, he already knew of the mutual feelings growing between his daughter and her friend Luke. If they were indeed in love with one another, then was Lancelot making the wrong decision in offering the Victini to join Team Knights? If Luke was injured or killed, Gaby's heart would tear itself to pieces, and she would never be the same again.

Lancelot shook away the feeling. Assuming Luke did accept his offer to be his and Arthur's apprentice, the Victini's safety was their responsibility. The Gallade was determined nothing would happen to the Victini while he was under his watchful eye.

Luke's life, and undoubtedly Gaby's already unstable emotions, depended on how well Lancelot did his job.

-.-.-.-.-.

The valley was quiet once again. No Darkfeathers patrolled the skies, and there was nothing marring the black vastness of the yonder except for the moon and stars. All was peaceful. All was as it should be.

Across the mountains, however, two dark shapes limped through the air and away from the valley. It was toward the BughavenForest they flew, which the bird Pokemon knew but didn't care. Once again, Clawface and Herra were injured, and they needed to find a safe resting place as far away from the Darkfeathers as they could get.

Clawface had a new scar across his chest, so every flap of his wings was accompanied by a stab of pain. Dried blood soaked his feathers. Herra was scratched all over, although her iron-tough scales prevented any life-threatening injuries from getting through. She could have easily flown faster, but she kept pace with the struggling Clawface, loyally staying by his side.

She was surprised when she heard his rasping growl of a voice – the Skarmory was amazed that Clawface could fly _without_ talking, never mind while doing so. "Those… Darkfeathers are going to… pay for everything," he said. "All of our… misfortune in… recent times is because… of them."

Herra nodded. "Next time, they won't beat us," she agreed. "Next time, we'll come for them, and we'll be prepared."

Clawface's beak parted in a smile. "You're right… Herra. Mara will… not get away next time. She cannot… run forever. We will catch… up to her and… kill her along with… the rest of the Darkfeathers. By the time our… revenge is complete, the Darkfeather… gang will no longer… exist."

The Skarmory tilted her head as she flew in closer beside her partner and friend. She asked, "How are we going to get our revenge next time? There are only two of us, and Mara and Iron Talon themselves easily beat us."

For a moment, nothing but ragged gasps came from the Fearow's beak as he struggled across the sky. Then, he told her, "We're… going to find a way… to beat them once and… for all. Make no… mistake.

"We will get our… revenge, Herra. Even if it… means we have to join… the Guardians to do it."

-.-.-.-.-.

In the bowels of the Windchaser, a medium-sized group of Pokemon rested comfortably in their cabin. Team Eevui was present, as were Jowl and Sinestra. The five Eevees and Eeveelutions lay down in various spots inside the small room, talking quietly to each other. They didn't want to disturb anyone's slumber, as they knew that Pteryx and Wyvern were the only active ones aboard.

"It's frightening to think about everything we've seen on this adventure," Miranda murmured, swishing her tail worriedly. She looked around at her friends and just missed Jowl staring at her.

"The Darkfeathers, the Raiders, the Jellicent Kingdom…" Okami mused. "It's like all these groups of Pokemon are going mad! They all want to bring order to this world of chaos by eliminating everyone else!" The Sylveon rolled over onto her other side as she looked down at everyone from her position on the bed.

"I don't know what's going on, but we're a rescue team," said Amanita fiercely. "The Guardians are depending on us to help in any way we can!"

Jowl stepped toward Okami and away from his little sister, a fiery glint in his eye. "That reminds me… I still want to join," he said strongly. "I want to fight alongside you as a part of Team Eevui."

The Fairy-type frowned. "Are you sure?" she asked worriedly. "You're still so young – younger than Amanita, even. You could get hurt! It's very dangerous being on a rescue team."

Jowl blushed when he saw Miranda nodding in agreement. _She doesn't think I'm strong enough!_ he realized. _But I'm going to prove I'm strong. And then she'll have to like me back!_

"I know it's dangerous," the male Eevee declared, staring up at Okami boldly. "But it can't be more dangerous than everything I've already gone through! The world is a deadly place now, rescue team or not. At least if I'm fighting with you, then I'll be better equipped to defend myself."

Miranda was staring at him with great interest now. Amanita looked thoughtful, nodding slowly to herself as she considered his words. Okami, however, was satisfied with his answer. "That was probably the best answer I could have gotten!" she said, beaming at him. "So now you, Jowl, are officially a member of Team Eevui!"

Jowl held his head high. "I'll make you proud, Okami," he promised. "I swear I won't let you down."

Amanita came forward and nudged him in a friendly way. His sister Sinestra came up beside him and nuzzled him. And best of all, Miranda stroked him with her tail. When he felt her gentle touch, Jowl suddenly felt like he could take on anything at all, even a Legendary Pokemon.

_I will be a good rescue team member, _Jowl swore. _I might be little, but I won't be forever. And I can still make a huge difference! By Arceus, I know this is true!_

-.-.-.-.-.

When Cenric had finally fallen asleep after talking with Blanca that night, he hadn't expected to be awoken again. But he had been. He opened his eyes blearily and yawned, rubbing the grit from them. _Why can't I sleep?_ he grumbled to himself. _What's making me so restless?_

He saw the reason why on the other side of the raft. Madeleine was awake, her silvery fur gleaming in the moonlight as she stared up at the night sky as if hypnotized. She was still the most beautiful thing Cenric had ever seen.

And they were supposed to be friends! So why was she still mad?

_Maybe Dark-types just carry really long grudges,_ the Buizel thought dejectedly.

Just then, the Absol looked back and spotted him. "Oh, you're awake," she said flatly, turning back to look at the sky.

Screwing up his courage, Cenric joined her. "What are you looking at that's so interesting?"

Madeleine's voice didn't contain any of the usual acid when she spoke. "The night sky," she replied. She sounded like she was in a trance. "I like looking at it. It's so dark and vast. It comforts me when I'm uneasy."

Cenric stared long and hard at the starry sky, but he definitely didn't feel any comfort. _Probably another Dark-type thing,_ he thought.

The Absol glanced once at him as he looked up at the moon and stars. "Like you'd understand anyway," she muttered, disdain entering her voice again.

That remark caused Cenric to whip around and glare at her. "You're still mad, aren't you?" he demanded loudly, threatening to wake the others up. The Crawdaunt stirred in his sleep and Cenric subsequently lowered his voice. "I've never done anything to you! So what do I need to do in order for you to admit we're still friends, huh?"

At first, Madeleine seemed shocked at his sudden rage. But her face soured again and she hissed back, "You almost destroyed our home, remember? Next time you try to impress me, do it without risking others' lives!"

Cenric felt himself trembling with anger and fear – anger at Madeleine's childish grudge, and fear that she'd never accept him as a friend again. It was true, Sam and Blanca had almost died in the incident, but they still treated him like family! So why was Madeleine so upset?

The Buizel knew why, of course. _She's upset because it happened when I tried showing off in order to win her heart._ He felt sick to his stomach.

And Madeleine was by no means done with him. "Because of you, I've spent years stealing, killing, and acting like a criminal," she spat. "I was forced into betrayal, and my parents were held hostage, because of you and your… your…"

She was so mad, she was struck momentarily speechless. Cenric felt his own temper boiling over as he heatedly thrust his face into hers and gave his own snappy reply. "You were the one who chose to run away and join the Life Stealers! I didn't make that decision for you! So who's really to blame for everything that's happened to you?"

Madeleine didn't answer. In her mind, it was Cenric's fault for everything she had been through. She knew that he'd meet each of her pushes with a shove of his own. As far as she was aware, this argument was over, and she didn't want to talk with him any more.

The young Absol walked away to the other end of the raft and lay down, heading back to sleep. Cenric was left alone, still shaking with fury. But his anger soon gave way to sadness and uncertainty, and he curled up on the raft, trying to get comfortable enough to fall asleep again.

But he knew that as long as Madeleine was unwilling to make up with him, and too busy raging at him to even consider calling him her best friend again, he would never be comfortable.

Cenric's heart cracked, but didn't break. But would the crack ever heal?

Only time would tell.

-.-.-.-.-.

Even though the fog had lifted from the western ocean where the _Tranquility_, _Seasearcher_, and _Windchaser_ still sailed, it was only just appearing to wrap its misty tendrils around the ship in the southern ocean. No one could see through it, and to make matters worse, everything was completely silent. Not even Barn or Vladimir would be able to find their way through the fog.

However, there were a few Pokemon on board that weren't nervous at all. Adrianna looked mildly spooked, but not worried. Evelyn was openly curious about the fog that had suddenly sprung from out of nowhere, and Alphonse was indifferent as usual.

Goliath reassured the others that fog like this was unusual, but nothing to worry about. "There's ALWAYS something like THIS on the WAY to the GUARDIANS' ISLE," he claimed. "But it's USUALLY much WORSE than this measly FOG. The only thing UNUSUAL about it is that there's no accompanying HURRICANE."

In fact, Goliath was more worried about the absence of the terrible weather that he had been expecting than the navigation-hampering fog. Tara and Chelicerae were a little on edge as well. "He's right, the weather's usually worse than this," the Yanmega said.

Tara nodded. "We can't complain, though. I guess we should consider ourselves lucky that we don't have to go through snow or wind with these little ones aboard." She patted the frightened Lavender on the head, soothing her somewhat.

Elf was still shivering from a combination of the cold and her fear. "What if we can't find the island?" she asked nervously. "What if we're just sailing in circles?"

She suddenly found Goliath hovering next to her ear. "Don't WORRY about it!" the Midjet boomed, making her wince. "My TEAM and I have SAILED here MANY, MANY times. I know this ROUTE like the BACK of my WING!" Chuckling, he zipped away and left Elf rubbing her head.

Vladimir suddenly climbed down from the mast and approached Team Exo. "Vladimir cannot see or hear a thing!" he said. "Vladimir does not vish to be throwing option out there, but there is very real possibility ve might be lost."

Adrianna shuddered as a cold ocean breeze swept across the boat and hugged Topaz tighter to her chest. "I'm afraid I don't know where we are either," she admitted. "It's been so long since I visited the Guardians' isle. I can't be sure we're on the right track or not."

Lavender hid behind the Gardevoir's leg and gulped. "Y-You mean we could be wandering around the southern ocean in this fog forever?" the Venonat stammered.

"NONSENSE!" yelled Goliath, suddenly appearing again. "How many TIMES do I have to TELL YOU? I can DEFINITELY, ABSOLUTELY, ONE HUNDRED PERCENT GUARENTEE you all that we are HEADING in the RIGHT DIRECTION!" He was shouting so loudly, he could probably have been heard back on the mainland.

But looking around at all the fog, and observing how deep in the middle of nowhere they seemed to be, no one found any comfort in the Midjet's words.

It was Elf who voiced this. "We're in the middle of nowhere! How can you be so sure?" she protested, hopping from foot to foot worriedly.

"In that case, we're on the right course," Cheli said without a hint of concern. "The Guardians' isle's location can be loosely described as 'the middle of nowhere'."

All of a sudden, Barn flapped to the bow of the ship and squinted through the fog. "Uh, guys?" he called back. "I see something glowing. It's yellowish… well, whitish."

Everyone gathered around Barn and peered through the fog, which seemed to thicken even as they looked at it, and indeed, no one saw anything. "'Ish'?" snorted Alphonse, skeptically. "What in Arceus' name is 'ish'?"

Evelyn gave him a mild, scathing glare. "He means," she explained, "that it's not exactly yellow, and it's not exactly white."

Team Exo, as well as Adrianna, exchanged grins. "You don't think it could be him, do you?" Adrianna asked, suspecting what it was Barn had seen.

"YES, I DO!" Goliath shouted gleefully.

"Do you know why it's not exactly yellow and not exactly white?" Cheli asked, thrumming his wings with a new energy. "It's because it's Stellar, King of the Guardians!"

Just then, everyone else began to see the yellow-white glow shining through the fog. Slowly, the glow coalesced into a small figure that floated towards them, dispelling the thick cloud with the light that seemed to radiate from his body. The glow began to fade the closer the figure glided toward them.

When the yellow-white light had faded entirely and the fog seemed to press into them once again, the small Pokemon was floating alongside the amazed group, just above the deck. He smiled in a friendly way at them and waved, glancing around at all the unfamiliar faces.

"Hello, everyone!" he said cheerfully, doing a little somersault in the air. "My name's Stellar. People like calling me the King of the Guardians – because I kind of am, you see – but I infinitely prefer my real name. So please, call me Stellar!"

Barn and Elf's eyes were wide as they took in the sight of the King, the ruler of the noble band of Pokemon that they had grown up hearing stories about. Vladimir was awed as well, but secretly a little shocked that Stellar wasn't some huge, intimidating Pokemon that would look slightly more like a king.

Stellar glanced around again, observing all the new and friendly faces before him, until he spotted Adrianna standing at the back of the group. He gasped and broke into a wide grin before rushing over to embrace the Gardevoir. "Adrianna! It's been so long, my friend!" he squealed, throwing his little arms around her neck.

"Nice to see you again too, Stellar," she replied warmly, holding Topaz in one arm so she could embrace him with the other arm. The Jirachi let go and hovered there, beaming at her, for a few seconds, before turning to look at the baby Ralts she held.

"This is Topaz, right?" he asked, to which she nodded. Stellar reached out to tickle the baby under his chin. Topaz gurgled and smiled widely, grabbing Stellar's fingers in his little hands. On the sidelines, Alphonse tried his best to hide a smile, but failed.

"Where's the rest of your family?" Stellar asked, turning back to Adrianna. "I've already sent Team Sand Dragons to look for you all! I haven't seen you or Gaby in ages – and besides, there's something of utmost importance that concerns you!"

Adrianna's smile faded, and she hung her head slightly. "It's kind of a long story," she said sadly. "I don't know where Lancelot and Gaby are at all."

Stellar frowned, then smiled again and patted the Gardevoir on the shoulder. "We'll find them, don't worry," he told her encouragingly, then floated over to the rest of the group. By now, the fog had begun to lift.

"We're almost there! Just follow me!" the Jirachi said cheerfully. He floated off into the distance, in the direction the boat was already sailing in. The fog lifted even more, allowing a faint light to wash over the ship and its passengers.

"You're all going to love this," Cheli said, shivering his mandibles in a Bug-type's version of a grin. "The island's amazing, especially at this time of day."

And then, all of a sudden, the wisps of fog surrounding them completely disappeared. The island was closer than they expected – its shores were only a couple hundred meters away. Tall, tall trees rose high above the land, and even from this distance, the Pokemon could see the huts and walkways coiling around them. The natives were bustling around, going about their business.

The island looked like the very definition of paradise. And it was made even better by the sight of the sun rising slowly above the treetops, exposing everything to its gentle yet intense orange glow.

The boat passed under a rocky archway rising up out of the sea. From its perch on the arch, a massive, leathery-winged Aerodactyl jumped off and swooped low over the boat with a harsh shriek. The fossil Pokemon clutched a long rod in its talons as it flew toward a giant boulder that also rose up from the water. It could have been described as a small island in itself.

The Aerodactyl flew past the tree sprouting from the tiny island, holding out the rod it held. It struck the gong dangling from the tree's branches, causing a loud, clear ringing sound to echo out over the sunlit, tropical island. All over, Pokemon stopped in their duties to gaze out over their island and silently greet the newcomers to their shores.

All of the Pokemon crowded at the bow of the boat. The magnificent island, the awe-inspiring trees, the warm glow of the rising sun, and the echoing ring of the gong combined to create a picturesque landscape that they couldn't look away from. Even Team Exo seemed struck by the sheer beauty of their home.

Barn and Elf stood at the very front of the boat. This was what they had flown away from their valley in order to find. This was the home of the legendary Guardians, the hidden island that had inspired them and made them grow strong. And it was before them at last. At last, their dreams had come true.

The two owl Pokemon were suddenly aware of two others coming up beside them. Barn looked up to his left and saw Vladimir staring at the island, almost as if hypnotized. Elf looked to her right and saw Lavender standing next to her, her compound eyes wide.

At that moment, the four Pokemon looked at each other. Barn the Noctowl, Elf the Hoothoot, Vladimir the Noivern, and Lavender the Venonat gazed into each other's eyes and knew immediately, deep in their hearts, that they were to form a rescue team together and become Guardians. They would help save the world of Pokemon. They would grow close as a team, as a band. And it was these words they spoke to each other in an oath.

"We will become Guardians," Barn said.

"We will save the Pokemon world," Elf added.

"Ve vill form a rescue team and grow strong," Vladimir agreed.

"And we will do it as one," Lavender finished.

The new band reached out with their hands and wings and touched them together, sealing the deal.

Just as they finished their oath, Stellar, King of the Guardians, appeared once again. He swooped over the boat, catching everyone's attention, and floated upwards until he was level with the sun. The two ribbons that rippled from the Jirachi's body expanded to their full length, and he looked at them with kind, strong eyes. The orange sun framed him magnificently, wrapping him in an aura of light.

"Welcome, friends!" he announced in a voice that rang out like the gong that had signaled their arrival.

"Welcome to the Isle of Eternity!"

-.-.-.-.-.

**Yes, I got that last scene directly from Legend of the Guardians.**

**Fates left uncertain! Teams journeying into danger! What will become of everyone? Will they all make it to safety in one piece?**

**I'm afraid you'll all have to wait to find out! Review please, and hang in there!**

**Chapter Question #29: Last question! When I start the sequel, is there anything in particular you readers want to see more of? More death? More romance? Answer after you review!**


	44. Epilogue

**I couldn't bear to end "Destined Explorers of Legend" on a light note. Here's a bit of suspense that will leave you readers itching to see what happens in the sequel!**

-.-.-.-.-.

Far beneath the surface of the eastern ocean, far from any island, far from any source of sunlight… that was where the Jellicent Kingdom could be found.

In the dark void of the crushing abyss, the Kingdom was like a shining beacon of light. The city was made from rock and coral, and lit by strange, glowing crystals whose power source was shrouded in mystery. Wild deep-dwellers such as Huntail, Gorebyss, and Skrelp approached the dazzling source of light, expecting to find a meal, but were beaten back by the numerous guards that protected the city.

Underneath a great undersea mountain was the immense castle in which the royal family lived. The castle was huge, and was positioned underneath an enormous rock overhang that projected from the mountain. The palace actually extended into the rock, where a series of caves with air pockets served as the top-most floor. Although made of the same basic materials of rock and coral like the rest of the buildings, the palace instilled a feeling of awe and wonder to the many dwellers that swam about the city.

At the bottom-most floor, which was submerged in the black water like most of the castle and illuminated dimly by the glowing crystals, two tentacled royals swam silently down a deserted corridor. Although they couldn't tell because of the perpetual lack of sunlight, they could instinctively tell that it was the dead of night. Every other Pokemon in the castle was asleep – or _nearly_ every other.

The door was pulled open upon the knock that resulted from the slightly smaller one of the couple's tentacle hitting the hard stone. When the door had opened, the sole inhabitant of the room beyond gazed upon her visitors with surprise.

"Hello again, my old friend," Lady Sapphire greeted with a warm smile. The Alomomola broke into a similar smile and bowed deeply. "It has been so long, Princess!" she replied in a kind, motherly voice. "I never expected you to pay me a personal visit at this hour so suddenly!"

Neptune smiled as well and swam slightly forward. "Sapphire has told me so much about you," he said. "She often says that you were the best nanny a girl could ever have."

The Alomomola blushed heavily and ducked her… um, 'head'. "She said that?" she said bashfully. "Well, isn't she a dear. Sapphire was the sweetest little girl I could have hoped to meet. She still is, I see," the fish added with a wink.

Sapphire giggled. "Oh, stop that," she laughed. When she had calmed down, she leaned in and whispered conspiratorially, "We've come to check up on 'it'."

The disc-shaped Water-type's heavy-lidded eyes grew wide. "Oh, it is doing as well as can be!" she assured them, beaming. "It is indeed coming along very nicely. It won't be long now~!" she added happily.

"Might we take a quick look?" Neptune asked, and the Alomomola nodded furiously. "Of course, of course! Anything to be of service, sir," she twittered, moving aside. Neptune and Sapphire both spared her a smile before floating through the doorway.

The Alomomola smiled knowingly before swimming out and closing the door behind them. She knew the two would prefer being alone.

The room was small and dark, with only two dim light-providing crystals embedded in the walls. It was almost bare, save for one feature – a small, goblet-shaped pedestal. Perched on the pedestal was a bowl-shaped container, giving the artifact its goblet shape.

A sleeping Chinchou perched on the edge, snoring quietly. Its lanterns were blazing with light, providing a bright illumination for the center of the room. Not only did its lanterns generate light, but heat as well. Heat was definitely important.

For inside the bowl, swaddled in soft kelp and seaweed, was a single egg. Its shell glistened softly in the light of the Chinchou's lanterns, and was patterned in swirling pink and blue. It sat there in its nest innocently, a sight to make even the hardest heart melt.

Sapphire and Neptune smoldered at the sight of the egg as they drew closer to watch over it. The blue Frillish silently wrapped a tentacle around his wife's waist as she lovingly regarded the egg – _their_ egg.

"This is our future, my princess," Neptune said softly, holding her close. "And it is more than that – it is our child, a little Frillish to love and call our own. We are going to be parents!"

His excitement radiated out into the water, stirring it the slightest bit. But Sapphire was so in tune to her husband's feelings that she could indeed detect the imperceptible vibrations. The water seemed to be charged with excitement.

Lady Sapphire's gentle, loving gaze lingered on the egg, a warm smile spreading across her face. But within the warmth, there was a tinge of malice.

She had planned for this egg to hatch on a special night. And when it did, not even the Guardians would be able to keep her from taking the Shards and seizing the world in her grasp.

"Soon, my child," she whispered, reaching out to stroke its shell tenderly. "Soon, you and your family will no longer have to hide beneath the murky depths of this ocean. When your father and I put our plan to action, the entire world of Pokemon will be ours."

The soon-to-be-mother's eyes sparked with their signature evil glint as she touched her unborn child once more time.

Its only reply was a shudder.

-.-.-.-.-.

**And there we have it – the most evil family of four in Pokemon history is about to become five.**

**This is definitely not the end of our story – the Shards have yet to be recovered and the ****_Windchaser_**** and Co. has yet to arrive at the Isle of Eternity! And we can't just leave Barn and Elf, who have just had their dreams come true!**

**Not to mention the OCs that you readers entered but haven't made an appearance yet! Sorry if they didn't get to appear in this story, but some will be in the sequel, I promise!**

**Nigel and Bolt are still out there, planning who knows what, and the three remaining gangs are scrambling to retrieve the rest of the Shards. And what could Lady Sapphire be planning?**

**Find out all of this, and more, in… "Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Destined Explorers of Peace"!**


End file.
